Family Ties
by wrightersbloq
Summary: Couple of months after the giant war, and a new half-blood is found. Though he seems like just another half blood, the seven are going to need his help in their most dangerous quest yet. Disclaimer: I own the plot and my OCs. Everything else belongs to Rick Riordan. BOO spoilers.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:**

Hey guys. All I have to say is that this is my first fanfic, so be nice with the reviews. Thanks.

**PERCY**

Percy was not having a good day. First, he could barely get to sleep because of some crazy dreams he had. Second, when he finally did get some sleep, his best friend Grover had barged into his cabin, proclaiming that he had found the half-blood they were looking for. Third, almost immediately after he had left camp with Grover and Annabeth, they had been attacked by monsters. Fourth, they had to take a three hour detour to get into New York because their normal road was blocked off for repairs. Fifth, when they finally did get into New York, Grover told them that the half-blood they were looking for was on the other side of the city. Lastly, they had gone as far as central ark before Grover had told them that he had lost the half-blood's trail. He and Annabeth were now sitting on a bench in the middle of central park, yelling at Grover for getting them out of bed for nothing. Grover looked so ashamed that Percy almost felt bad for yelling at him. Then he remembered how tired and sleep deprived he was. There was nobody in the park, which was weird because it was a Sunday, and the park was always packed on Sunday. Percy was too tired to notice.

"Are you sure that there is a half-blood around here, Grover?" Percy asked his friend tiredly.

"Yes, I'm very certain I smelled a half-blood here a bit ago." Grover said in response. Annabeth sighed.

"Look, Grover there is no-"she stared to say, before a sword cut her off. Percy immediately jumped off the bench, and turned around. A boy was standing behind the bench, holding a sword across her neck. He looked about sixteen or seventeen, with black hair and tan skin. He was wearing black sweat pants and a blood red shirt. Over that, he was wearing an unbuttoned red and black jacket that hung loosely around him. The one thing that caught Percy's attention, however, was his eyes. They were a normal shade of blue, maybe with some green mixed in, but that wasn't what caught Percy's attention. What caught his attention was how experienced his eyes seemed, like he had seen more things in his life than he should of. He saw pain and sadness in there too, but he also saw power in them. Before Percy could dwell on his eyes any more, the guy spoke.

"So, you're the ones following me." He said. His voice sounded like an amused father that was chastising his son. The thought made Percy mad. He was ready to fight this guy just to wipe that smugness away, except he had Annabeth hostage. Apparently, the guy knew what Percy was thinking. He gave Percy a confident smirk. "Go ahead and try it dude, see how far you get." The guy gave an amused laugh, like this whole thing was one big game. Then, his expression turned serious. "Alright, down to business. What are you three? Cyclopes perhaps?" Then he looked down at Annabeth. "No, not Cyclopes." He said after seeing her face. "How about colossus?" Then, he looked at Percy and put the sword closer to Annabeth's throat. "Answer me, or she dies. What are you three?" Until that moment, Percy had been frozen in place, but when this guy asked his question, he unfroze.

"I'm Percy Jackson, that's Annabeth, and this is Grover" he said, pointing to Grover behind him. "Annabeth and I are half-bloods, and Grover's a satyr." Percy didn't want to tell him what they were, but he didn't feel like he had a choice. The guy looked like he was uncertain if they were telling the truth. Then Grover took off his shoes, revealing his goat hooves. The guy immediately removed his sword from Annabeth's throat and stepped away. Percy thought that they had gotten past all the danger, but then the guy looked straight at Percy with utter hatred. He jumped entirely over the bench and ran straight at Percy. Before Percy could even move to defend himself, the guy jumped again. He leaped straight over both Percy and Grover, and when both turned around they saw him land in front of a woman. She appeared to be in her late forties or so, with wrinkles and an elderly spark in her eyes. She didn't look so elderly, however, when she lunged at the guy, who easily sidestepped. Then he brought his sword down and the lady exploded into yellow dust, like all monsters did when they were killed. Then the guy looked back at Percy, Grover, and Annabeth, who had gotten up from the bench and went to stand beside Percy.

"Sorry about that." he said "Lamia has been chasing me for days now. I'm also sorry about that hostage thing a little bit ago. Monsters have been chasing me for a while now and I had to be sure I could trust you. You can call me A.J, by the way." Then he did a little bow. "How may I help you three today?" he asked.

"We would like to take you to a safe haven for demigods, called camp half-blood" Annabeth A spoke up, but she didn't sound happy. Immediately, A.J changed his attitude.

"Did you say camp half-blood?" he asked in a serious voice, and even though it was very unlikely that Percy heard right, he thought he heard a bit of hope in his voice as well. Even Annabeth seemed surprised by the change in A.J's attitude.

"Yeah, I did. Why?" she asked. A.J then put on a smile, but even Percy could tell it was fake.

"No reason" he said in a cheerful voice that was every bit as fake as his smile. "So, when do we leave?"

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> So, what do you guys think. leave your thoughts in the reviews, but remember, this is my first fanfic, so please be considerate. Thanks.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **hey everybody. here's another chapter for you.

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><p><strong>ANNABETH<strong>

Annabeth really did not like this new demigod. It wasn't just because he had held a sword to her throat, though that was a big part of it. The real reason she didn't like him, however, was because he acted so confident and stuck-up. The way he carried himself, like he had nothing to fear at all by being with them, made her so mad. He just smiled and looked ahead without even the slightest care in the world, and Annabeth had to resist the urge to smack that confident expression from his face. After what seemed like hours, they finally made it back to camp half-blood, and the sun was starting to go down. Annabeth realized that they had been gone for the entire day. Then, a second later, she realized how hungry she was. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast after all. When they got to the top of half-blood hill, Grover sighed.

"You guys take him to Chiron; I have to go see Juniper." He said. Then he skipped away before Annabeth or Percy could protest. They just stood on top of half-blood hill for a moment, and then Annabeth decided that she should just get this over with. The less time she had to hang around A.J, the better.

"Come on; let's take you to meet Chiron." She said, and started walking down the hill. Percy and A.J fell in step beside her. When they got to the big house, they found Chiron on the porch. He looked at them as they approached. When he saw A.J, he smiled.

"It seems we have a new camper." Said Chiron. He held out his hand, and A.J shook it. He didn't seem fazed at all by the fact that Chiron was a centaur.

"Hello Chiron, my name is A.J" said A.J. "Are you the same Chiron from the stories?" he asked. Chiron's smile grew bigger.

"Why yes young hero, I am." He said, and suddenly A.J started shaking, like he had suddenly had an overdose of caffeine. Then, just as quickly, he stopped. He let go of Chiron's hand and looked around as if nothing had happened. Chiron looked like he wanted to comment, but he apparently thought better of it. Annabeth thought that after thousands of years training heroes to fight magical monsters, Chiron had seen weirder things that a slightly hyperactive kid. He looked at A.J for another moment, and then turned to Annabeth.

"You have made it just in time for dinner. Go join your cabins and get ready. I have some things I wish to talk about with A.J." Chiron's tone left no room for argument, not that Annabeth cared. She was happy to leave that arrogant demigod to Chiron. She nodded, turned toward her cabin, and walked away to get ready for dinner.

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><p>By the time Annabeth sat down at her table, her stomach was growling so loudly, she was sure the demigods across the dining pavilion could hear her. She got her food, burnt some as an offering to the gods, and started wolfing down the rest. Dinner went on for a little bit, then Mr.D, Dionysus (their camp director) stood and Called for silence.<p>

"As torturous as it is for me to babysit all of you brats, the _generous _Zeus has found it necessary to drop another one of you into my care." He said. Then he sat back down. A.J stood up from where he was sitting at the front table, smiling that arrogant smile that annoyed Annabeth so much.

"Hey everyone. Name's A.J" he said. He turned around and whispered a question that Annabeth couldn't hear. When he faced them again, his face was deadly serious. "Where is Jason, son of Zeus?" he asked loudly. Everybody became absolutely still. Did this guy seriously just ask for Jason grace? How did he know Jason? Why did A.J want to know where he was? All these questions swirled around Annabeth's mind, but before she could get her thoughts under control, somebody in the back stood up.

"I'm Jason, but it's the son of Jupiter, not Zeus." Said Jason. "Why do you want me?" Before Jason could finish his question, A.J was holding his sword. It was then that Annabeth realize that she hadn't seen his sword since that incident in the park. She had just enough time to wonder where he kept it, before he lunged at Jason. She stood up and unsheathed her dagger. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Percy leap after A.J with riptide drawn. He was still too far away to help Jason. A.J crashed into him with enough force to send them both flying out of the dining hall. For some reason, Annabeth looked behind her. She saw a little girl sitting at the hearth were they burned offerings to the gods. Before Annabeth could focus on that however, a scream tore her vision back to the fight between A.J and Jason. Jason had lost his sword in the tumble, and he was desperately dodging A.J's strikes. Percy threw him a sword, his own sword, and he started using it to block. There was a sound almost like desperate screaming, and it took Annabeth a moment to realize that it was A.J screaming.

"Fight me, Jason." He shouted, and Annabeth could definitely hear a slight bit of desperation in his voice. "Fight me. FIGHT ME!" A.J lunged at Jason again, but this time Jason parried his sword. As A.J's sword was diverted, he spun around and knocked Jason down with a roundhouse kick, chuck Norris style. In a flash A.J had his sword to Jason's throat. Annabeth was sure that A.J would bring down the finishing blow, but instead, A.J started smoking. Then, his sword arm caught on fire, followed by the rest of his body. He looked at his body calmly, as if he was inspecting a new outfit, and when he spoke, Annabeth could hear the happiness in his voice.

"Thank-you" he said. "Thank-you so very much, son of Jupiter." Then, right in front of everybody, A.J collapsed.

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><p><strong>AN: So, what do you guys think. let me know in the reviews. If you guys think that there is something i could do better, please let me know. thanks.<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: **Hey everybody, i'm back. So here is another chapter for you. enjoy.

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><p><strong>A.J<strong>

A.J was walking along a paved path. On each side of him, there was mist. He looked around; trying to take stock of his surroundings, but all he could see was mist. He kept walking until he came to a crossroads. In front of him, there was a doorway, but it was pitch black, so he couldn't see anything. On his left was another doorway, same with his right. Both were pitch black. He frowned. A crossroads isn't supposed to be black.

"What in the world?" he asked. Just then, a wind picked up and started swirling the mist around, like a giant cotton candy machine. Then, the mist darkened, until eventually he was looking at a silhouette of a person. He could feel power radiating from the figure.

_What you see before you is what you mortals call an impasse._ The voice sounded like coals being scraped against one another. A.J could tell it was coming from the figure in the mist, even though it sounded like it was coming from the mist itself._ You will reach the same outcome no matter what path you choose. Just know that when the time comes to lay claim to your family, I will await you atop the devil's mountain._ The way the voice spoke, it sounded as if it was reading A.J's obituary. Before he could think about how much he disliked that interpretation, a sharp pain erupted behind his temples. He fell to the floor; while images flashed through his mind faster then he could comprehend them. So many things were running through his head, he felt like it was going to explode. Through all of that, however, a certain line of words kept repeating over and over. It took him a second to make them out, and when he did, they made no sense at all: _Half-blood claimed by fire's hand._

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><p>When A.J woke up, he was surrounded by faces. Percy, Annabeth, And Jason stood over him, Along with three other girls. One had frizzy red hair and freckles; another had eyes that couldn't seem to decide what color they were, going from green to blue to brown. The last one had choppy black hair and what looked like a tiara in her hair. Immediately, A.J leapt up and hugged Jason as hard as he could, muttering "thank-you" over and over. After about a minute he realized that he must have looked a little crazy, what with the death hugging of some guy that he just fought, so he let go of Jason and took a few steps back.<p>

"Sorry." He said. He looked around. The dining pavilion was empty, but other than that, everything was exactly the same as it was before he passed out. He was interrupted from his observing by a not-to-subtle cough. When A.J turned to look, he saw the girl with the tiara holding a bow with an arrow knocked in it, pointing straight at him.

"You have about thirty seconds to explain why you just tried to kill my brother." She said in a very threatening voice. Jason put his hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down Thalia, I'm sure this guy can give us a good explanation." He said, looking at A.J expectantly. A.J smiled.

"Yeah sure I can, just not someplace this public." He said. Everyone was quiet for a second, until Percy suggested that they have this conversation in his cabin. Nobody argued, so they all made their way to cabin three. When they got there, everybody arranged themselves in a half circle around A.J. When he saw that everybody was comfortable, A.J began.

"K, so firstly, my name's A.J.I have been an orphan practically since I was born. I never knew either of my parents. All my life I've been alone, without family or friends. Eventually, I got tired of being alone all the time. So, I went to see Nereus, the old man of the sea." When he said this, Percy tensed, but he didn't interrupt. "He told me to go to a place called camp half-blood and do battle with Jason, the son of Zeus. So, when Percy, Annabeth, and Grover found me in new York, I was already making my way to camp half blood." When A.J got done telling his story, everyone went silent. They were silent for so long in fact, that A.J began to feel uncomfortable.

"I still don't get it." Jason said finally. "Why did you need to fight me, and why me, of all people?" Then everyone was quiet again. This time A.J broke the silence.

"I really don't know Jason. I'm sorry." He said. "I have no idea why he told me to fight you, but I didn't want to take any chances. All I ever wanted was a family, and if fighting you would help me get one, then who was I to argue." When he was done, he could feel everyone staring at him, thinking about what to make of his story. Then, the redhead spoke up.

"It looks as though this guy got what he wanted after all." She said, looking around at everyone else. No body argued. A.J felt something that he had never felt before: accepted. Just like that, even after he nearly killed one of their own. Then the redhead looked back at him. "My name I Rachel by the way, and that's Piper." She said pointing at the girl with multi-colored eyes. She was sitting next to Jason and holding his hand. Hmm.

"We still have another question to answer." Annabeth said, snapping him out of his thought. Everybody looked at her strangely. "Where do we put you?" she asked. Then It seemed to dawn on everybody just what she was talking about. A.J didn't understand though.

"What do you mean?" he asked them. Percy looked at him with a smile on his face.

"Here at camp half-blood, you get sorted based on our godly parent." He told A.J. "So, unless you know your godly parent, we have no idea where to put you." Then it was A.J's turn to smile.

"Oh I know who my godly parent is." He said happily.

"Really? Who is it?" Annabeth asked. A.J looked at her with an amused smile.

"You're supposed to be quite smart, daughter of Athena. You should be able to figure it out." Annabeth looked stunned, and A.J couldn't help but start laughing. "Oh well, I guess I have to tell you. My Olympian parent is…

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>So, did you guys like that cliffhanger, mwahahahaha. What do you all think his Olympian parent will be? Leave your answer in the reviews. Thanks


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Have you guys been dying of curiosity. Well, here is the answer. Enjoy the chapter.**

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><p><strong>A.J<strong>

"My Olympian parent is…" A.J stared out at everyone's expectant faces. Everybody was looking eagerly at him to finish. "… Hestia, goddess of family and tender of the flame." The expectant air in the room turned to stunned silence. The look on everybody's face was so comical, A.J couldn't help but laugh. However, after about a minute of silence, his laughter fizzled out. Everybody was still staring at him, then all at once, they started talking.

"Hermes." Said Annabeth.

"Hermes." Said Percy.

"Hermes." Said Thalia.

"Hermes." Said Piper.

"Hermes." Said Jason.

"Meh." Said Rachel. Everyone looked at her. She looked around and started blushing. "I mean, Hermes." Then everybody focused their attention back to A.J, who looked quite shocked.

"Why do you all think I'm a Hermes kid?" he asked.

"Because Hermes is the trickster god, and well, that was some practical joke you just played." Said Percy. When everybody nodded, A.J knew that none of them believed him.

"Why is it so hard to believe that I'm the son of Hestia?" he asked.

"Hestia is a maiden goddess." Said Annabeth. "She can' have children." A.J looked at her… and busted out laughing. He laughed harder than he did a few minutes ago, and by the time he was done, he was rolling on the floor, crying his eyes out, with six people staring at him in confusion. When he finally calmed down enough to form a complete sentence he stood up and looked directly at Annabeth.

"Is that seriously the only reason why you don't believe me?" he asked. "You'll need to do _way_ better than that if you want to convince me."

"What are you talking about?" Annabeth asked.

"Let me answer your question with one of my own, daughter of Athena. What is your mother?" Annabeth looked quite irritated.

"A goddess." She said. A.J couldn't help but chuckle at her naivety.

"A _maiden_ goddess, Annabeth. Your mother is a maiden goddess." He said "If you can be alive despite that, why not me?" Annabeth was so shocked, she actually fell over. So did practically everyone else, except Rachel. She was doodling on her pants, and then she looked up and saw that everyone was on the floor, so she fell over too. "I can even explain how I was born, if you want." A.J continued. Before anyone could reply to that, there was a crash outside. Immediately, everyone stood up and ran out the door. A.J was the last, and he nearly ran into Jason, who was staring at a giant… thing that landed in the middle of the camp. After it stood and stretched A.J realized that it was a bronze dragon, easily taller than the trees. It blew fire into the sky, and then it collapsed.

"No way." Said Jason, with awe. Then he took off, sprinting right for the dragon. He was followed by everyone, including A.J. When they got right up close to the dragon, they heard a voice.

"_Di immortals_, this is the _fifth time_ you've crashed on me, Festus. You really need a better hobby." Said the voice.

"Calm down Leo, at least nothing blew up this time." Said another voice, this one a female. Just then, the right wing (at least A.J assumed it was the right wing) exploded. Then A.J could hear some cursing from the other voice, which must be this Leo person.

"You were saying, Calypso." When Percy heard that, he stopped so suddenly that Annabeth ran straight into him, and they both fell down. A.J didn't have any time to go back and help them because right then, two people walked out from behind the dragon. One was a short Latino-looking guy with shorts and a t-shirt. The other was a pretty girl in jeans and a t-shirt that matched Leo's . Both of them were covered from head to toe in oil. "I wonder if anyone from camp heard us crash h-"he didn't get to finish, because Piper talked him in a flying hug.

"LEO!" she screamed happily. Then, when she got off from him and helped him up, she punched him in the stomach. "Do you have any idea how worried we were after that explosion? We thought you were DEAD." She might have yelled at him some more, but Jason put a hand on her shoulder and she calmed down. Then he bent down to help Leo up.

"Okay, firstly, I _was_ dead after that explosion, but I rigged Festus to give me the physician's cure we worked so hard to get. Secondly, I promised that I would go back for Calypso, so I did. Thirdly, beauty queen, in case you haven't noticed, I CAME BACK!" After Leo stopped his ranting, he took a deep breath. "So, yeah, introductions." He said before Piper could reply. "Everyone, this is Calypso. Calypso, this is Piper, Jason, Annabeth, Thalia, Rachel, and, um Percy." He said pointing to everyone, but when he got to Percy, Calypso started freaking out.

"YOU!" She shouted. She unsheathed a katana, a Japanese samurai sword, and charged straight at Percy. Everybody was frozen in shock, Except for A.J. In a flash, he stepped in front of Calypso, and grabbed her sword with his bare hands. Then, in one quick motion, he flipped Calypso over his shoulder and placed his foot on her stomach, holding the katana to her throat.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Said Leo, shaking out of his trance. "What just happened? One minute we're having a happy reunion, the next my girlfriend tries to decapitate Percy. Then this guy comes out of nowhere and stops her just like that. Who is this guy anyway?" When he finally stopped to take a breath, A.J realized that this kid was seriously hyper, even for a demigod. Before A.J could tell Leo who he was, Leo changed track again. He walked over to Calypso and helped her up. Then he had to restrain her from trying to hurt Percy again. "Okay Calypso, I know you're upset, but just calm down." They stood there like that for a few minutes, Leo holding calypso, whispering calming words to her. When It looked like things had finally calmed down, Annabeth chose that moment to come out of her trance. She drew a sword that looked to be made of bone, and charged straight at Calypso. Before she got there, a wall of ruby red fire erupted between them. When everybody looked at Leo, who was equally hocked, they heard a voice.

"ENOUGH!" shouted A.J, Whose eyes were burning with the same red fire.

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><p><strong>AN: So, what do you guys think. Leave me a comment in the reviews. O and if you have ideas, like for pairings and whatnot, let me know that too. I'll see if i can put them in here somewhere. Thanks<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: So sorry I haven't written in awhile. I have a list of excuses that I'm pretty sure you don't want to hear, so on with the fanfic.**

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><p><strong>A.J<strong>

"ENOUGH!" A.J shouted. A ring of ruby red fire sprouted around Calypso, and another one sprouted around Annabeth. The fire became a series of ruby red chains that in turn wrapped themselves around Calypso and Annabeth. The chains then attached to Percy, Leo, Piper, Jason, Rachel, Thalia, and each other. Everybody looked at A.J in shock.

"What is this?" Calypso asked as she struggled. A.J walked over to her.

"Those are the one thing you can never escape." He said. "Those are your family ties." Suddenly, his sword was in his hand. He raised his sword above his head, as if to strike Calypso down. Leo made a move to help her, but A.J was already bringing the sword down. Instead of killing her, though, it ended up in the ground next to her head. "I will not tolerate any form of harm towards my family, do I make myself clear?" He asked in a deceptively calm voice. Calypso could only nod. A.J turned to Annabeth. "As for you, WHAT IN THE NAME OF HADES DO YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING!?" The shout was so loud that it caused everyone to flinch. By this time, other campers were emerging from their cabins. A.J looked around, and picked his sword back up. It disappeared. He snapped his fingers, and the chains around Calypso and Annabeth vanished. Leo helped Calypso up, while Percy helped up Annabeth.

"What was that all about?" Jason asked. Before A.J could answer, Chiron walked up.

"What is this racket?" He asked. Then, seeing Leo, he smiled. He turned back to the campers, who were standing a little ways away. "To the dining hall! We will celebrate!" Nobody really knew what was going on, but they all cheered anyway. After all, a Greek party is second to none. Then, everybody went over to the dining Hall.

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><p>Leo was regaling the Hephaestus cabin with tales of his adventures after the giant war, while Calypso sat at his side, interjecting where necessary. Percy and Annabeth were going around and talking to the other cabins, same with Piper and Jason. Thalia was hanging out with a group of girls dressed similarly to her, and Rachel was sitting at the head table with Chiron and A.J.<p>

"So, A.J, have you figured out where we place you?" Chiron asked him. A.J nodded.

"Do you have a shrine to Hestia?" He asked. Chiron nodded.

"Of course."

"Would it be alright if I stayed there?" A.J asked. Chiron looked surprised.

"Whatever for?" He asked. Rachel leaned over.

"He thinks he's Hestia's son." She said. Chiron looked over at her, then looked back at A.J.

"Is this true?" Chiron asked. A.J nodded. Chiron placed a hand on his chin, in a thinking gesture. Then, he breathed out a long sigh. "Very well, you may sleep in the shrine of Hestia."

"Thank you." A.J said. "Is it alright if I get to sleep now? I've had a long day." Chiron nodded.

"Of course young one. Goodnight." A.J nodded and stood up. He then left the Dining Hall, but unknown to him, he was watched.

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><p>A.J finally found the shrine, after about ten minutes of searching. It was a small gray building, only one story, one room. It had a pointed roof, and a wooden door. When A.J went inside, he found a statue of a little girl resting on a mantle over a hearth. There were a pile of hogs in the hearth, as if someone was ready to burn them. There was almost nothing else in the room, save for a medium sized pillow in front of the hearth. A.J sat down near the pillow, ready to fall asleep, when there was a knock on the door. A.J stood up and opened the door. There stood a living version of a Barbie Doll. She had WAY to much makeup to appear like anything else.<p>

"Hiya Hun. My name is Drew." Said the Barbie girl. "I think you and I should get to know each other better."

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><p><strong>PERCY<strong>

Percy was chatting with Annabeth about how Mr. D would look drunk, when there was an enormous crash. Everybody looked over towards the sound. They saw a small column of ruby red fire.

"_Di Immortals_." Said Percy as he sprinted towards the fire. He was dimly aware of other campers behind him, but his attention was on the column of fire. Then it was on the two figures near it. One was A.J, and the other was Drew. _Oh, this cant be good._ Percy thought. Te thought was only confirmed when he heard A.J shout.

"HARE DRAE YOU TRY TO CHARMSPEAK ME!" He shouted. He walked over to where Drew was, lying on the ground. He picked her up, and threw her as hard as he could straight back to the ground. It was at that time that Percy tackled him to the ground.

"What are you doing?" He asked A.J.

"Nobody charmspeaks me!" A.J said furiously. "Let go of me now!" Just then Piper came up.

"I'll take care of Drew. Relax, I'll make her sorry for this offense. I'm her counselor." She said to A.J. He appeared to calm down. Percy got off of him. A.J stood up, dusted himself off, then he turned to Piper.

"You had better." He said. Then he turned towards the shrine. He walked through the empty door frame, as the door itself was shattered when he threw Drew through it. He then lied on the ground, with his head on the pillow, and fell asleep. Chiron came riding up.

"That boy has the right idea." He said. "All of you, to your cabins." With that, everyone went to their separate cabins and went to sleep.

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><p><strong>RACHEL<strong>

Rachel was staring into a fire in her residential cave. She had been having flashes of insight ever since A.J had shown up, so she was waiting for the full prophecy to reveal itself. Just then, Rachel's vision went black. Then, an image of a ruby red flame appeared, with a hand stretching out. It then shifted to a vision of many silhouettes, which then shifted to a vision of a town. The vision then shifted to a group of people, all girls, with boys chained to walls at the side. It then shifted to a pile of boxes before shifting to an image of a scythe. Her vision then went black, before it returned to normal. Rachel leaned towards the fire. "So, that's what's going on." She whispered to the flames. "Half blood claimed by fire's hand..."

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><p><strong>AN: Hey, so I got this chapter done. That means it's the perfect time for me to tell you some news. I have decided to write multiple chapters and then upload them all at once, unless a special circumstance comes along. So, enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think.<strong>


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: So, here is my next chapter. I'm sure many of you are curious about a few things, so you get answers in this chapter. Then again, you may not.**

**Enjoy. :)**

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><p><strong>A.J<strong>

A.J woke up to the sound of knocking. He looked over at the empty doorway, and saw Jason standing there. He sat up groggily.

"Jason?" He asked sleepily. "What's up?"

"Sorry to wake you man, but we need you at the big house." He said. It sounded to A.J like he was woken up early as well. A.J just nodded.

"Alright. Be down in a minute." Jason nodded and left. A.J got up, stretched, and walked out of the shrine. He looked around and he deduced that it was about 8:00. He made his way down to the Big House. When he finally got here, he found that Jason, Piper, Percy, Annabeth, Rachel, Thalia, Leo, and Calypso were already there. Chiron was there as well, bent over some papers. He looked up when A.J entered.

"Ah, A.J, there you are. Now, we can begin." He nodded to Rachel. She nodded. Everybody gave her their attention.

"So, last night, after all of you went to bed, a new prophecy came to me." At that, everybody stirred. Even A.J could feel the importance of this new prophecy.

"What was it?" Annabeth asked. Rachel took a slow breath in, then a slow breath out. When she spoke, it wasn't in her normal voice.

"_Half blood claimed by fire's hand,_

_With many loved ones in his band,_

_Shall seek the Titan's crescent blade,_

_The underworld must be unmade,_

_Spirit passed through Death's known gate,_

_The greatest of heroes shall share in his fate."_

When she was done, everyone was speechless. They all stood in silence, before Jason broke the silence.

"I'm very sure I know what the answer is, but do any of you have any idea what any of that means?" He asked. Slowly, everyone shook their heads. Jason sighed. "I thought so."

"Actually, I think I know what some of it means." A.J said slowly. Everyone turned to him in surprise.

"Really?" Asked Piper. A.J nodded.

"Well, what?" asked Leo.

"Half blood claimed by fire's hand." A.J said. He looked down at his sword arm. "I think it means me."

"It might." Annabeth agreed. "But it could also mean Leo. Hephaestus is the god of fire after all." A.J shook his head.

"No. I know it's me." He said. Annabeth looked at him.

"And why is that?" She asked in a snark manner.

"One, Hestia is goddess of the hearth. The hearth means fire. Two, I was actually claimed by _fire. _Three, when I passed out after fighting Jason, that line kept playing over and over in my head." A.J responded. Thalia nodded.

"Okay, for the sake of argument, let's say that that particular line means A.J" She said. "But what about the rest?" She looked around. "Anybody?" Nobody said aything. Then, both A.J and Annabeth jumped. They looked at each other.

"You don't think-" Annabeth began.

"It can't be." A.J said.

"But if it is-" Annabeth said.

"That would be incredibly bad." A.J finished.

"What would be bad?" Percy asked. "What are you two talking about?" Annabeth looked over at him.

"That line of the prophecy: 'Shall seek the Titan's crescent blade.'" Annabeth said. "We may have figured it out."

"What do you guys think it is then?" Leo asked. A.J looked over at him.

"Only one Titan wields a crescent blade." He said. "And that one titan had the power to cut a primordial god to pieces."

"Using that crescent blade." Annabeth said. "Or, as it's better known, a scythe." There was a pause following that, then Percy went as white as a ghost.

"You can't possibly mean _him_, do you?" He asked softly. Annabeth placed a hand on him reassuringly.

"What's going on? What are you talking about?" Jason asked. "Is it bad?"

"It's very bad." Thalia replied. "Very bad indeed."

"Well, I still don't understand how." Leo said. "Now, can SOMEBODY please explain it?" A.J looked over at him.

"Khronos, the lord of the titans." He said. "He used a scythe to chop his father Ouranos into pieces." He looked over at Jason. "The Romans would call him Saturn." Jason suddenly gained a look of recognition.

"Oh. That is bad." He said.

"Does that mean that we need to go on a quest to find Khronos' scythe?" Calypso asked. Annabeth nodded.

"It would appear that way." She said.

"But why?" Piper asked. "What could be the point of it?" Percy was still white, but this time, so was Annabeth. They looked at each other.

"There can only be one explanation." Annabeth said. Percy nodded.

"Tartarus." He whispered. It was just loud enough that Jason and Piper could hear. They went white as well, though nowhere near as white as Percy and Annabeth.

"Excuse me, I'm still lost." Calypso said. "What about Tartarus?" A.J looked at her.

"Near as I can figure, we need to go on a quest to find the scythe of Khronos n order to stop Tartarus from doing something bad." He said.

"That's all well and good." Thalia said. "But, who should go?" Everyone fell silent. A.J sighed. Everyone looked at him.

"What?" Asked Percy, who was a little less pale. A.J placed his hands on his head.

"We've all missed an important fact." He said.

"And what is that?" Annabeth asked.

"Remember that one line: 'With many loved ones in his band'?" A.J asked. Everyone nodded.

"So, you need to set out with your loved ones?" Calypso asked. A.J laughed and shook his head.

"I don't have any loved ones." He said. "I think it means people who love each other. That's why Percy and Annabeth need to go. Leo and Calypso to, and Jason and Piper. They all need to go." Annabeth nodded slowly.

"I agree." She said. Chiron looked at her.

"But, it may be dangerous to have that many people on a quest. Surly just one pair will do?" He asked In a concerned tone. Annabeth shook her head.

"No. A.J's right. The prophecy said _many_ loved ones. We all need to go." Chiron hesitated for a moment, then nodded slowly.

"Very well. You all must leave as soon as possible. Get your gear together and meet on Half-blood hill." With that, he walked out.

* * *

><p><strong>JASON<strong>

A.J was already at the hill when Jason and Piper arrived. He was sitting on the side of the hill, a little ways away from Thalia's tree.

"You already pack your gear together?" Jason called out. A.J looked over at him.

"Didn't have much to pack." He called back. It was then that Jason noticed that A.J had brought next to nothing with him. Just the clothes he was wearing. Jason and Piper sat next to him on the hill.

"So, what do we do while we wait?" Piper asked. A.J lay down on the grass.

"Well, you two can do whatever lovey-dovy crap you do in your spare time." He said. "I have some things to mull over." Jason leaned over.

"What kind of things?" Jason asked.

"Things that don't concern you right now." Was A.J's cryptic reply.

"Hey, it was just a question." Piper said. "You didn't have to snap at him." A.J sighed.

"I know, and I'm sorry." He said. "But this still doesn't concern you right now. It's a personal matter." Neither of them had any time to reply, because the others were showing up. Eventually, everyone was there except Leo and Calypso. Everybody stood around waiting for them to show up. Suddenly, a warship landed in the valley a small way away. It looked remarkably like the Argo II, but a few sizes smaller. Leo hopped out, and waved to everyone. As they approached, Leo was grinning enormously.

"The Hephaestus cabin repaired the Argo II while I was gone. From now on, it shall be known as the Argo III." He led everyone on board. As the Argo III left the ground, he called out to everyone. "So, anybody know where I'm taking this thing?" Everybody was silent. Then, Jason spoke up.

"To camp Jupiter. We need some help." He said. Nobody had any better ideas, so Leo pointed the Argo III in the direction of the camp, and set off.

"Next stop, Camp Jupiter." Leo said as they began moving. "We hope you enjoy your overnight express ride via air Leo."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're off! The quest has begun. Tell me how you guys think this went, and if I could do any better. Thanks.<strong>


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Now, it begins. Also, sorry for not putting in as much detail as I should of in the last chapter. If it bugs anybody, let me know and I'll fix it. I think that's it, so enjoy the story.**

* * *

><p><strong>ANNABETH<strong>

Annabeth was standing on the deck of the Argo III, gazing out over the clouds. The sun had gone down awhile ago, and everyone was asleep. At least, that's what she thought, before she heard a voice.

"Not the first place I thought I'd see you." Said a male voice. She turned to see A.J walking up to her.

"What are you doing here?" Annabeth asked. She meant to sound surprised, but it must have come out as something a bit more snotty, because A.J flinched. She made to apologize, then stopped.

"I just came out here to think." A.J said. He stood next to her and leaned on the railing. "Everything has been moving so fast." That reminded Annabeth about some questions she wanted to ask him.

"How did you know who everyone's loved one was?" She asked him. He looked over at her, then looked back out to the clouds.

"Straight to the point, eh?" He asked. "Who do I start with?"

"How about Jason and Piper." Annabeth said. A.J nodded.

"I saw them holding hands when I was telling you guys about myself. You know, after I fought with Jason." He looked over at her I order to see her nod. "It was really just a guess, but I guess I was right."

"OK, then how about Leo and Calypso?" Annabeth asked.

"A variety of clues. Firstly, I am very familiar with Calypso's myth. If Calypso was with this guy, it must mean he must have met her, and if he met her, he most likely went to her island. If he went to her island, then her curse would have made her fall in love with him." A.J took in a long breath. "Secondly, tied for firstly, when Leo was going on that rant like five minutes after I met him, he said 'and then my girlfriend tries to kill Percy.'" Annabeth scratched her head in embarrassment.

"What about me and Percy?" Annabeth asked.

"You were the first two I met, and you were very close. I could tell that right away. Then, I notice how you almost never left his side the entire way. That and the fact that he kissed you goodnight last night was a big giveaway." Annabeth stepped back in shock.

"How could you possibly know that?" She asked with that shock still in her voice. A.J looked back at her with a grin.

"I didn't know. It was just a guess, until now." He chuckled slightly at her embarrassed expression. He looked back out to the clouds. They were quiet for a few minutes, when A.J surprised Annabeth again. "You've been through it, haven't you?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Annabeth asked.

"You've been through... the underworld, haven't you?" Annabeth could tell from his hesitation that he was going to say something else. Annabeth also had a pretty good idea of what he was going to say.

"I'm not fragile, you know!" She said angrily. "Don't sugar coat things." Then she calmed down. "Even if I do appreciate the thought."

"So, is that a yes?" A.J asked. Annabeth looked at him cautiously.

"What does it matter if it is or is not?" She asked sharply.

"Because, whatever it is that happened to dump you there, whatever you did, is something I would never have the courage to do." A.J said. "It makes me admire you more."

"And why do I care what you think of me?" Annabeth snapped. A.J didn't reply for awhile. When he did, it was with another question.

"You don't like me very much, do you?" He asked. Annabeth 'Hmph'-ed.

"And what genius analysis did you do this time?" She asked. A.J shook his head.

"Is it because I threatened you with a sword?" He asked. "Or is it my arrogant nature?" He looked over to see Annabeth's shocked face. A.J grinned. "I'm more perceptive of myself than you think." He went to looking back at the clouds. Then he sighed. He turned around and began walking back to his sleeping quarters. "Well, whatever it is, I hope I can get you to be my friend someday. Goodnight Annabeth." With that, he disappeared below. Annabeth looked out at the clouds, slightly confused at the entire meeting.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Annabeth was eating breakfast with Percy, Jason, and Piper, as the others had either not yet woken up or in Leo and Calypso's case were working on the engines. A.J walked in, got some breakfast, and sat down near them. He didn't make eye contact with her.<p>

"Morning." He mumbled as he began eating. Jason looked over at him curiously.

"Are you okay man?" He asked. A.J nodded.

"Yeah, I'm alright." He said. This time, Percy looked at him.

"You know, you have an uncanny resemblance right now to one of my friends." He said. "His name is Nico Di Angelo. He was always a kind of depressed person too." A.J looked at him.

"Di Angelo? 'The angel'?" Percy nodded slowly. A.J looked like he was deep in thought. He mumbled something. Annabeth could just make it out.

"Twins snuff out the angel's breath." A.J whispered. Jason nearly chocked on his breakfast, Piper spilled her milk, and Percy fell out of his chair. They all heard him.

"How do you know that line?" Jason demanded. A.J snapped out of his look of thought. He looked confused.

"It came in a dream. Why?" He asked. Percy looked at him seriously.

"You need to tell us." He said. A.J looked like he was about to protest, but then he gave in.

"Alright." He said, with slight reluctance. Annabeth had time to wonder why he would be reluctant, and then A.J told them all about his dream.

* * *

><p><strong>A.J<strong>

FLASHBACK

_He was waling down a gray road. The road was lined with torches, all burning with a familiar ruby light. He eventually came to a branch off in the road. A black figure suddenly appeared out of the ground._

_ "What is happening?" A.J asked the figure. The figure's only reply was an intense stare. Suddenly,the figure began to speak. What it spoke made no sense, however._

"_Spirit passed through Death's known door,_

_Companion he is longing, for_

_Twins snuff out the Angel's breath,_

_And he shall join her in Death."_

_Then, the figure disappeared._

_ "Wait!" A.J cried. "What does that even mean?" A.J was suddenly lifted of the ground by some unseen force. The road below him opened up like a giant pit, and A.J fell._

* * *

><p><strong>ANNABETH<strong>

Annabeth just sat there with the others after A.J just got done explaining his dream. He looked around at their quiet faces.

"Well!" He demanded. "Say something." That seemed to break whatever trance everybody was in.

"What do want us to say?" Piper asked. A.J shook his head.

"I don't know." He said. "Something." Annabeth leaned forward.

"Well, how about-" She started, but was cut off by Leo's voice over the intercom.

"So, we'll be arriving at camp Jupiter in just a few minutes. Wish us all luck in the home stretch." Just then, a warning alarm went off, and red lights began flashing. Leo and Calypso burst out of the engine room, coughing on the smoke that followed them.

"You just _had_ to say something, didn't you?" Calypso cried over the alarm. Leo started running around, looking for something.

"Sorry, sorry." He said. "But now we have to find a way to fix this." Percy looked over at him.

"What do you mean?" He asked. "Fix what?" Jason and Piper looked over at each other.

"The engine has had a lot of strain put on it, and it's about to blow." Leo practically shouted over the alarm. Immediately, A.J jolted out of his seat. He ran over to Leo. He actually picked him up and threw him over to Calypso. He landed at her feet.

"What are you doing? "Annabeth shouted. A.J didn't bother to answer. Instead, a ring of ruby fire surrounded Leo and Calypso. The fire then turned into chains, which wrapped around the two completely. By the time it was done, they looked like two cocoons chained together. A.J immediately turned to Jason and Piper, and the same thing occurred. Annabeth tried to lunge at A.J with her sword, but a ring of fire sprouted around her and Percy. Soon after, they were both in cocoons. As the chains wrapped around Annabeth's face, she saw that a ring of fire had sprouted up around A.J as well. Then, she was enclosed entirely in the chains. She struggled to get out, when suddenly there was a sound like nothing she ever heard. It sounded like the engine itself had gotten torn out of the ship, and was then crying in agony. The sound was followed by an immense Shockwave, which was itself accompanied by extreme heat. Annabeth could only stand it for so long, but then she blacked out as the ship exploded.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So, here we are. Please let me know what you guys think. It makes me happy to read opinions on my work. Thanks.<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**REYNA**

Reyna rubbed her temples with a sigh. She then looked up at the group of people surrounding her. To her left were Percy, Annabeth, Leo, and the girl Calypso. To her right were Frank, Hazel, Jason, and Piper. She recalled just what had happened to put her in this situation.

_FLASHBACK_

_She and Frank were talking about new improvements to the legion, when a massive BOOM rocked the world. She looked up to the sky, to see a massive cloud of smoke. Trailing from it were four lines of smoke. The debris at the ends of the lines crashed in the valley surrounding the camp. Well, three of the four did. The other one went further and landed outside the valley. She and Frank looked at each other, and made haste to the sight of one of the crashes. They came across a small crater, with two people at the center, surrounded by crumbling chains. Frank gasped next to her, then quickly ran back to camp to get people to go to the other crash sites. It took Reyna a little longer to realize why. Then she saw who the two people were, and she gasped as well. It was Jason and Piper._

_FLASHBACK END_

And now they were here. Everyone had gotten together in the praetor's office, and told her and Frank what had happened so far. Then, they realized that they were missing somebody. She had immediately sent out search parties to look for the extra person. That had been an hour ago. A camper dressed in armor had just given her a report.

"Any news?" Percy asked. Reyna shook her head.

"Nothing." She said. Percy looked down. Annabeth scowled. Jason looked over at her.

"What's wrong Annabeth?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Nothing." She said. Percy looked up at her. He looked about to say something, when the door opened again. In walked Nico Di Angelo.

"I heard everyone decided to 'drop in', so I decided to pop by to see what's up." Percy, Jason, Piper, Leo, and Annabeth were stunned.

"Nico, was that a joke?" Jason asked In surprise. Nico nodded.

"Yeah, what do you think?" He asked with a grin.

"What happened to you man?" Percy asked. "You seem happier." Nico's grin grew wider.

"Therapy. Lots and lots of therapy." He said. Then, he got down to business. "Now then, I heard you lost a team member. Any luck?" Everybody shook their heads. Then, Leo just got that _I've got an idea that I cant believe I didn't think of before_ face.

"Calypso, you're a sorceress, right?" He asked. Calypso nodded, then recognition spread across her face.

"Yes, but I haven't used my powers since we escaped from Ogygia." She replied. "I don't know if they will work."

"Well, you need to try. It might be the only way to find A.J" Leo said. Calypso nodded.

"OK." She then turned to Reyna. "Do you have a loom?" She asked.

* * *

><p><strong>A.J<strong>

A.J opened his eyes, and hissed with the pain. He felt that the entire front of his body was on fire. He sat up and looked around. He was on the side of a road, in a small crater in the gravel. He inspected himself, and found that his clothes were burned to rags. He sighed, and stood up. Immediately, the few chains that covered his back fell to the ground. A.J looked up at the sky. He saw the remainder of the ball of smoke that was once the Argo III.

"Alright, now what to do?" A.J asked himself. He looked around. "Which direction should I go in?" He looked in each direction, in order to try and find any clues. Yet he found none. He screamed in frustration, and keeled on the ground. He clutched his hair and screamed harder and louder. He finally stopped to catch his breath, and by the time he did, he was feeling a whole lot better. As he sat there panting, he looked over at the chains that fell from his body. Suddenly, A.J smirked. "Methinks we have an idea." He said. Suddenly, a single chain sprouted from his chest and shot towards the right of him. He looked in that direction, shrugged, and began walking.

* * *

><p><strong>FRANK<strong>

Frank and Hazel were waiting around with the others while Calypso was setting up to search for A.J. Just then, Leo walked into the room.

"Well, Calypso's all settled in now, so we just have to wait." He said. Frank nodded.

"That reminds me." He said. He walked over to Leo, picked him up by the front of his shirt, and slammed him against the nearest wall. "What the heck man!? We all thought you were DEAD!" Leo flinched back as Frank shouted in his face.

"Okay man, I'm sorry!" Leo said. "Its totally my fault. I was taking a vacation and lost track of time." Frank slammed him again.

"HOW CAN YOU EVEN JOKE ABOUT THAT!?" He shouted. Hazel ran up and placed her hands on Frank's shoulders.

"Calm down Frank." She said gently. "Please, just put him down." Frank stood there panting for a second, then he slowly placed Leo on the ground.

"If you..._ever_...do that again, I'll beat you so bad, not even your dad will recognize you." Frank said slowly. Then he grinned and gave Leo a bear hug. "That said, it's great to see you again man." Just then, Calypso burst into the room. Frank saw that she was quite rattled.

"What's up Calypso?" Leo asked. Calypso took some deep breaths. Then, when she was calm enough, she tried speaking.

"You all need to gear up. Now." She said. Frank let Leo go.

"Why, what's going on?" He asked. Calypso took in another deep breath.

"The Trojan Dragons have been spotted near the camp border. They are heading this way." Annabeth gasped.

"_The _Trojan Dragons are coming here?" She asked. Calypso nodded. Percy looked from Annabeth to Calypso and back.

"Hang on, what are the Trojan Dragons?" He asked. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"How did I know that _you_ would be the one to ask me that?" She said. Then, before Percy could respond: "The Trojan Dragons are a pair of dragons that Poseidon created to kill Laocoon so he wouldn't warn the Trojans about the Trojan horse." Annabeth said. Percy got a look of half understanding. Then he cursed.

"Thanks again dad." He said. Frank gave him a pat on the back for support. Percy looked back at Calypso. "How do you know about them? I thought you were on Ogygia during the Trojan War." Calypso scowled.

"I dated Odysseus, remember?" She said. Percy nodded.

"Right, sorry." Percy said. "Next question, why here? Why are the Trojan Dragons coming here?"

"I don't know, and unfortunately we don't have any time to figure it out. They're almost here." Calypso said. Percy nodded, and ran off to confront them. He was followed by Leo, Annabeth, Piper, and Hazel. As Frank and Jason ran off, Frank called over his shoulder.

"Did you find who you were looking for?" He called back.

"No, but I'll keep looking." Came Calypso's reply.

* * *

><p><strong>PIPER<strong>

When Piper finally arrived at the place where the dragons were, she gasped in astonishment. They were bigger than she could have imagined. Each one of them was taller than the hall she just left, and thicker around than the road she ran down to get here. Each curved claw was bigger than she was. Yet, as she watched, one of them burst into dust. She looked around, and saw that everyone was standing next to her in a line. She looked out at the dragon, and saw that there was nobody out there. Suddenly, she saw a black silhouette leap onto the back of the remaining dragon. The dragon began to writhe as if in pain, and the silhouette leaped clear from the dragon's back. The silhouette landed a few feet in front of her, and it was then that she realized it wasn't just a silhouette. It was...

"A.J?" Piper asked. Sure enough, the son of Hestia himself grinned over at her.

"In the flesh." He said. Then he looked at Leo. "And we really need to discuss your engineering skills." The dragon behind him roared. A.J immediately went over to Percy. "First things first, though." He handed Percy a thick chain. "Hang on to this, and when I tell you, pull on that chain as hard as physically possible." Percy nodded dumbly.

"You got it." He mumbled. A.J grinned and whirled on the dragon.

"Then let's get to it." (AN: Upcoming part has slight gore. You have been warned.) A.J then charged at the dragon, who blew a stream of flames at A.J. He simply ran right through the flames, and continued to charge the dragon. The dragon lifted it's front left leg, as if it were going to try and stomp on A.J. As it brought the leg down, A.J slid like a baseball player. The foot missed him entirely, and instead slammed down on his sword, which he had left there. The dragon roared in pain and raised the leg again. As the leg went past him, A.J reached up and pulled the sword from its foot. A stream of sand began to flow out of the wound. A.J then stabbed his sword into the other leg, and began climbing. The dragon reared onto its hind legs. Then, it unfurled its wings and took off. A.J kept climbing, and soon made it to the back. He then began climbing up the monster's head, and moved to one side. He turned to Percy and the others, who had by now each taken hold of the chain. "NOW!" He shouted, and then he jumped of the dragon's head. Immediately, everyone began heaving on the chain with all their might. A.J had timed it perfectly. The dragon moved its head over to look at him, and as it did, its eye passed right beneath him. It was at that moment that the chain, which wasn't present on A.J, appeared, and dragged him down with his sword at the ready. He went through the dragon's eye in an explosion of flesh and juice. A minute later, the opposite eye exploded, and midst a shower of dragon brains and blood, A.J tumbled out. He stood up and dusted off the sand that all the gore had become, then grinned at everyone. "Well, what do ya think?" Then, his eyes rolled up to the back of his head, and he passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hey, so sorry if this seems rushed, but I had to get this done. Also, its been kinda bugging me about how I'm writing this. Should I continue doing central third person, or should I switch to first person? Let me know what you guys want. If nobody says anything, then I'm going to do what I feel would be easier. Not necessarily better, but easier. Other than that, please review anyway. I need to know if anybody likes my story. Thank you.<strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: So, after careful deliberation, I have decided to write this story in first person. I apologize if any of you liked my third person writing, and I apologize if the change is confusing at first. Also, I wanna give a big shoutout to choclatethunder, for leaving such a nice review. Thanks, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

LINE BREAK

**A.J**

When I woke up, I was lying in a hospital bed. There was a woman sitting next to me, but I couldn't tell who, seeing as how I had lost all capability of movement and therefore could not turn my head. Suddenly, I regained the ability to move, and turned my head. I was just a little surprised when I saw Calypso there. She must have noticed me looking at her, because she looked down from the book she was reading.

"Well, look who's finally awake." She said with a smirk. I grinned.

"Finally?" I asked. "Does that mean my nap was taking to long?"

"Yeah actually." She replied seriously. "You've been asleep for three days." I was only mildly surprised.

"Three days?" I asked. She nodded. "Well, that sucks."

"We've all been taking turns watching over you." She said.

"Really?" I asked her. She nodded.

"Yes. You've been through quite a lot, you know." She said. I nodded and lay back down,having sat up to participate in the conversation. We lapsed into silence, and she went back to reading her book.

"I've always wanted to meet you, ya know." I finally said. She looked at me.

"What?" She asked me.

"I've always wanted to meet you." I said again. "I was always interested in your story. It impressed me how you managed to stay sane even after thousands of years of loneliness. I wanted to meet you in person for so long."

"Well, do I live up to your expectations?" She asked. I sighed.

"To tell you the truth, I have no idea what I expected." I said. "You definitely are different than what I thought. You're not as crazy as your myths make you out to be."

"Who said I was crazy?" Calypso asked incredulously. A.J quickly sat up and put his hands in a calming gesture.

"Okay, that was a bad choice of words." I said. "Nobody called you crazy. I misspoke." Calypso calmed down just a tad.

"What do you mean by crazy anyway?" She asked.

"Just the fact that you held Odysseus hostage for seven years." Calypso looked at me for a second, then nodded in acceptance of the fact.

"Fair enough I guess." She said. Just then, the sound of a bell could be heard. Calypso sighed and stood up. "Well, my shift is over. Hope you get better soon. See ya." With that, she left. I then lay back on the bed and fell asleep.

LINE BREAK

I woke up a few hours later, and somebody new was at my side. I turned and found that this time, it was Annabeth. I sat up with a grunt.

"Now, this is a surprise." I said as I sat up. She made a tired noise.

"Oh really? And why is that?" She asked in a snide manner. I grinned.

"Like I said, you kinda hate me. Not really the attitude one would expect when you visit somebody in a hospital." I said. She sighed.

"You insufferable brat." She said. "I hate you, and you have the gall to save my life! How am I supposed to hate you after that?" She asked. Then she smiled sheepishly. "Thank you." She said. I looked at her curiously.

"And just what are you thanking me for?" I asked her. She sighed.

"When the Argo III was about to explode, you put those chains around me and Percy and everybody else. I realize that those chains withstood both the explosion and the crash landing. You saved us all. Thanks." She said. I lay back down on the bed.

"No problem." I said. "That's my entire purpose: To protect my family." She tilted her head. I know because I was staring at her.

"Why are you so obsessed with family?" She asked. I smirked.

"It should be obvious, Wise Girl." She gasped and flinched back.

"H-how did you-" She stammered out. I laughed.

"Relax." I said. "The Argo III is a small ship. Things get around." Annabeth relaxed. "Feel better?"

"As long as you aren't stalking me." She replied. I laughed out loud, rolling over in my bed as I did so. I was now facing away from her. Suddenly, a bell rung. Annabeth stood up, I could tell from the scraping of her chair. "My shift is over. See you around A.J."

"Hey Annabeth." I called after her. She probably turned around.

"Yes?" She asked.

"Does this make us friends?" I asked. There was a silence, and then she spoke.

"No. This makes me your family." She said.

LINE BREAK

**JASON**

The reason I wanted to come to Camp Jupiter in the first place was so that was could consult the auguries for clues about where to find Saturn's ( or Khronos. However you want to call him) scythe. So, I was standing in the temple to Jupiter, waiting for the results. Finally, the auger (Who thank gods isn't Octavian) looked up from his findings.

"The closest think I can discern is a trip to Greece." The kid said. I nodded.

"Thanks." I said, then I turned and left. It was about time for my turn to watch over A.J anyway, so I made my way to the infirmary. When I got there, I found a small crowd around the entrance. Facing the doorway were three guys I didn't know. One of them was really buff, while the other two were both average. They all wore muscle shirts with flaming skulls on the backs. I groaned. _What, is this some kind of Roman gang?_ I thought. Facing them was another person I didn't know. Unlike the other three, however, this one was a girl in a short sleeved white dress that went past her knees. She had long coffee color hair, and a slight tan. On her right was Annabeth, who must have just left her shift. On the other side was Hazel, who must have been talking to the girl. By the time I finished my analysis, I was close enough to hear what was going on.

"Come on babe. Ditch those geeks your hanging with." Said the buff guy. I couldn't tell who he was talking to, but I could tell that all three girls looked uncomfortable. Then, the middle girl shook her head.

"Sorry." She said. "I don't date middle class jerks." Annabeth and Hazel both started chuckling. The buff dude took a step closer and grabbed the girl by her collar.

"Just because you got some Graceus freak and a Roman traitor to back you up doesn't mean I wont get what I want." He said. Annabeth, Hazel and I were all about to go mythological on this bully's behind, when a surprise visitor walked out of the infirmary.

"I suggest letting her go, unless you want to get hurt." Said A.J as he walked out. The buff guy just laughed.

"Oh? And just who do think you are?" He asked. A.J smirked.

"That is irrelevant." He said as he walked right up to the guy. "What is relevant is my threat. More importantly" He reached towards the guy. "how foolish you are to think I wouldn't carry it out!" He said the last part with a scream, and in one fluid motion, he grabbed the dude's massive arms, twisted them and entire 180 degrees, kneed him in the gut, and hauled his keeling body straight at his two cronies. The entire process had occurred in no less than ten seconds. A.J dusted his hands of and turned to the girl. "You OK?" He asked. The girl nodded.

"Yes, thank you." She said. A.J just smiled.

"No problem. But, hey could you tell me your name?" He asked. The girl looked hesitant for a moment.

"You can call me Pan, like your god." She said. A.J nodded.

"Alright. And thanks a lot for helping me out." A.J said. "I know you are one of the people that helped heal me." It was then that it hit me. I had seem this girl tending to A.J before. She must have been a nurse here.

"No problem." She said. Just then, a groan could be heard. A.J and I both looked over at the source, and found the buff guy standing up, with both of his arms in unnatural positions.

"You'll pay for that." He said. Then, his two cronies came out from behind him, bearing swords. I was on them in an instant. Or, one of them. I didn't know who got the other one, until I had successfully beaten my own opponent into unconsciousness. I looked over and saw that it was Percy.

"Hey man." He said with a grin. "I saw A.J completely dominate that buff guy, and I thought 'why not get in on the fun?" Then he and I both turned to A.J. He was standing over the unconscious body of the buff dude. He looked at us the same moment we looked at him.

"How do you feel?" I asked. He laughed.

"Like kicking another bully's fat behind." He said happily.

"Well that's...good I guess." I said. He laughed some more. I noticed he was shaking slightly. Okay, whoa. "Dude, are you on a sugar high?" I asked him. A massive grin split his face.

"Nah. I'm just suffering from the after effects of my swift healing. That's probably why I seem a tad more unstable." He said.

"I don't understand." Said Percy. "What after effects?"

"Euphoria. Incredible amounts of euphoria." A.J said. I chuckled.

"We can discuss it later, but first lets round up the others. We have some things to discuss." I said.

LINE BREAK

**AN: And there you go, A.J has recovered. Let me know what you think about Pan (The girl not the god). She will play a major role later, so PLEASE let me know what you think her role will be. Other than that, it would (if nothing else) REALLY help my self esteem to know that people like my writing. So, if you could, please review. Thanks.**


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: So, I'm a little sad that nobody has been reviewing. Except you chocolatethunder, you're amazing! But, I'm also pretty happy that my first story has so many views. Its OVER 500! So, thanks, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

LINE BREAK

**FRANK**

We were all back at the meeting house (AN: I don't know where they hold their meetings, sorry) waiting for Jason to tell us what we needed to know. I was surprised to see A.J walking around. Even so, I felt a small feeling of gratitude. I had heard about what happened from Hazel and Nico. I shuddered remembering the evil glint in Nico's eyes when he told me. He seemed back to normal now, though, as he sat next to Reyna. When Jason saw that we were all here, he spoke.

"I consulted the auguries In order to find out what we need to do next." He said. He had told Hazel, Reyna, Nico, and I about their quest. I looked over at the girl, Pan she said her name was. I remembered how Hazel said that he insisted she come along for the meeting, though I saw no reason why. I still don't, but hey, it wasn't my place to argue.

"So, what's next?" A.J asked, interrupting my thoughts. I don't quite know what to think of him. Sure I was grateful that he helped out Hazel, but there was something off about him. Something I couldn't place. Almost like...

"We need to go to Greece." Jason said, snapping me back out of my thoughts. Gods, I need to stop doing that.

"Where in Greece?" Percy asked. Jason shook his head.

"I don't know. The auguries could only point out a trip to Greece." He said. Percy sighed.

"Of course." He said. "Gods forbid anything was actually easy for a change."

"It might be easier than you think." A.J said. Percy looked over at him.

"What do you mean?" He asked. A.J smiled.

"Well, you know how Rachel has the spirit of Delphi inside her?" Percy nodded. "See, Delphi is a real place. In Greece. It might be a good idea to go there." Then he looked around at everybody, particularly Annabeth. "Unless anybody has any other ideas?" Nobody spoke up.

"Alright." Jason said finally. "To Delphi it is then."

"Have you all forgot something?" Pan asked quietly. "How do you plan to get to Greece?" Percy smiled.

"I have an idea." He said.

LINE BREAK

A few minutes later, everyone was in a line. Hazel, Nico, Pan, Reyna, and I were seeing them off. Suddenly, A.J called out to us.

"What are you three doing?" He asked. "You're coming with us." Every last one of us looked at him in confusion.

"Who are you talking about?" Reyna asked. A.J smiled.

"Why, Frank, Hazel and Pan of course." He said. I was shocked.

"What do you mean?" I asked. A.J kept smiling.

"Well, you and Hazel need to come along because we can stand a better chance with more loved ones. That, and everyone seems to trust you guys. Pan needs to come along because we need somebody with medical skill."

"Hey!" Calypso cried. "I have medical skill!"

"I know." A.J replied. "But for a group as large as this, we need somebody else as well."

"And how do you know that Frank and I are in love?" Hazel asked. A.J smirked.

"It's an obvious thing to see." He said. "Especially since Frank expressed an excess amount of gratitude towards your safety. Taking that into account, he's either a close family member or your boyfriend. And I know its not the first choice."

"How so?" I asked. A.J's face almost split in two.

"Being of my parentage gives me special skills. Now then, come along." Suddenly, a chain wrapped around the three of us, and we were pulled to the group. I turned to find Nico and Reyna waving, with smiles on their faces.

"Don't worry Frank." Nico said. "I'll help out Reyna in your place." With a sigh, I turned and followed the others as we walked out of Camp Jupiter.

LINE BREAK

**A.J**

As we made our way towards our destination, I recalled Percy's genius idea that led us on this path.

_FLASHBACK_

_ "I have an idea." Percy said. Annabeth looked at him curiously. _

_ "What kind of idea?" She asked. Percy smiled._

_ "The amazons." Percy said. "We can pay the amazons a visit. They can ship us to Greece." I choked. _

_ "Ship us?" I asked. "Alright. I'll buy that. But ship us from where?" Percy smiled again._

_ "From Amazon, where else." He said._

_ "Percy, you know that's in Seattle, right?" Annabeth asked. Percy nodded._

_ "Of course I know. Hazel, Frank, and I went there on our first quest together. Back when I was... you know." He finished lamely. Annabeth, who was right next to him, leaned against him. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her head._

_ "PDA!" I shouted. It was so sudden that the two split apart. They looked at me with exasperated looks wile I cackled._

FLASHBACK END

I caught sight of Pan just a ways ahead of me. I sped up so that I was right beside her. She looked at me as I came, then focused back on the track in front of her.

"What's up?" She asked.

"I just wanted to apologize for dragging you into this." I said. "I didn't really give you much of a choice. Sorry." She shook her head.

"Nah, it's fine." She said. "I might seem shy, but I really am not. Maybe a little introverted, but not entirely. I came because I wanted to." I sighed.

"Well, that's good." Then, there was a shout. Pan and I hurried up to find Percy, Jason, Leo, Piper, Calypso, and Annabeth fighting with a horde of humanoid creatures.

"Colossus!' Annabeth yelled. Immediately, my sword was in my hand. Frank and Hazel had just joined us and had only fought for a few moments before we were all done. Then, I looked up, and saw a city just down the hill we were on.

"San Francisco." Annabeth said beside me. "We should go around. Far, far around."

"Yeah, after all, we got Atlas on one mountain" Leo said as he looked at Calypso "and that place where we fought Enceladus, Mount Diablo." When I hear Leo say that, a memory began to play through my mind. I remembered those words I heard he day I fought with Jason: "When the time comes to lay claim to your family, I will await you on the devil's mountain."

"You guys need to go on ahead." I said. "I have some business to take care of on Mount Diablo." Percy was immediately at my side.

"What? You cant go there." He said. "It's too dangerous."

"I'm flattered. Truly." I said with immense sarcasm. "The great Percy Jackson is worried about my safety." Then I smiled. "I'll be fine. You guys however, you need to go see the amazons. Please, I need to do this." He looked at me for a second, then relented.

"Fine, but you had better make sure you come back." He said. I smirked.

"I've not met a monster yet what can kill me good sir." I said as I headed off. "Take care of everyone Percy."

LINE BREAK

I finally reached the top of Mount Diablo, only to find a bonfire going. There was nobody around, save for a little girl sitting in the flames. I recognized her instantly.

"Mother." I said. The girl in the fire smiled warmly. (AN: see what I did there :)

"Hello A.J" she said. "I knew you would come."

"Of course I came. What kind of son would I be otherwise?" I asked. "I've waited so long to meet you. I have questions that only you can answer."

"Then please sit at my hearth and ask them." She said with a gesture to the ground. I sat next to the flames, and was bathed in pleasant heat. "What do you wish to know?" Hestia asked me.

"Why did you never claim me?" I asked her aloud. "Why did I go through my entire life not knowing who my parents were?" I looked at her to see her smiling sadly.

"The truth is I never knew you existed. I'm sorry to say that, but that is how it goes." She said.

"Because I'm an accident, right?" She reached out and gently held my shoulder.

"Of course not." She said. "You were always meant to be, yet I had no idea when you would appear. I've waited so long for you A.J. You will finally bring this family of ours together." She turned me to face her. "If you would like to fill that role, then you must grow into your powers. If you wish it, then please step into the flames." She looked at my hesitation. "I understand if you refuse. I have neglected you all your life, and I have no right to ask of your help. I'm sorry." I smiled.

"I understand. You have no need to apologize, Mother. I'll do what it takes." I stood up and walked into the flames.

LINE BREAK

**PAN**

I was walking along when suddenly Piper was at my side.

"Hiya." She said. I looked at her, to see her beaming. "I've been meaning to talk to you ever since we left."

"About what?" I asked.

"I think A.J likes you." She said. I scoffed.

"Why do you think that?" I asked. She kept smiling that ridiculous smile.

"It's one of my skills." She said.

"Daughter of Aphrodite, matchmaker extraordinaire." Leo called from ahead.

"Shut it Leo!" Piper yelled. I distinctly heard laughter coming from up ahead. Then, Piper focused her attention on me.

"So, I'm going to help you get him to ask you out." I tripped and fell.

"What?" I asked incredulously. "Are you serious right now? We're in the middle of a quest, and you want to update my social status?" I heard a laugh.

"That's just the kind of person she is." Jason said as he walked up and kissed Piper.

"PDA!" Leo shouted without looking.

"Shut it Leo!" Both Jason and Piper yelled simultaneously.

LINE BREAK

**A.J**

When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by darkness. Hestia was standing just in front of me, the only tangible thing in this world. She held her hand out and placed it on my face, so that her fingers covered my eyes. Suddenly, vivid flashes and images sprang before me. I saw Percy and Annabeth traveling with Pan towards a dark castle. I saw Jason and Frank carrying Leo to a mountain. I saw Calypso helping Hazel walk to another mountain. I saw Piper with Nico and Reyna, looking intently at a knife. I didn't see myself. Then, just as quickly as they began, the images ended. Hestia removed her hand from my face. She smiled.

"Your powers have been unlocked. Use them well." She said. I wanted to say that I didn't know how to use my powers, when the knowledge suddenly sprang into my head. I knew precisely how to use the powers Hestia just gave me. She waved her hand, and a vision of the others fighting a group of girls appeared.

"Those are the amazons." I said in shock. "But they couldn't have made it to Seattle yet." Hestia shook her head.

"You have been out of sync with your world. A week has passed since you entered my flames." She saw my shocked expression, I can tell because she smiled. "There is still time to help them. You know what you must do." And I did. So, without any hesitation, I formed a chain connecting me with one of the others. I focused on that tie until I couldn't feel myself anymore. Suddenly, I was zooming along a very narrow ruby track. Then, everything went dark.

LINE BREAK

**PERCY**

Okay, so we had walked into Amazon, just like last time. This time, however, Hazel, Frank, and I were all recognized immediately. We were then escorted along with the others to the throne room we visited last time. We were greeted by queen Hylla, who expressed how happy she was to see us again. She then asked what brought us here. We told her what we wanted them to do. When we were done, she made a deal with us. Apparently, because of some laws of theirs, or something like that, we had to fight the amazons. All of us vs most of them. If we won, then they would do as we asked. So far, we were doing a pretty bad job. Almost right away, Pan was knocked out. We formed ourselves into a circle around her, each of us fending off way to many amazons to count. We were all tired, and it looked like we wouldn't last much longer. Then, there was a shout of anger. Suddenly, A.J appeared out of nowhere and double drop kicked the two amazons in front of me. Then, he was spinning around the room like a demented hurricane, demolishing anybody he could get his hands on. He kneed an amazon in the gut while using his foot to kick another in the knees. He elbowed another in the ribs, while punching a third in the face. Eventually, each of his limbs was inflicting harm at the same moment. Soon, he was done. He stood in the middle of a massive pile of unconscious bodies, panting slightly. He looked at us.

"Hey guys. How's it going?" He asked with a smile.

LINE BREAK

**AN: Hey, this is the longest chapter I've written in awhile. Oh, and since it's taking so long for me to write the chapters, I've decided to update whenever I finish them. That's it. R&R Please. Thanks.**


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: Before I say anything else, I have to give a shoutout to mayaofthefandoms, for not only reviewing my story, but being so nice about it as well. Thanks a ton. Since that was the only thing I have to say, we can all get on with the story.**

LINE BREAK

**A.J**

We were approached by another amazon, though from the regal way she carried herself, I guessed that this was the queen.

"It seems you won our bet Percy Jackson. Though I don't recall including this boy in it." She said. Before I could say anything, Annabeth stepped forward.

"The bet was that all of us had to face off against most of the amazons. A.J is one of the people on this quest. He just wasn't here at the time. You never said 'only the people here vs most of the amazons' you said 'all of you vs most of the amazons.' Therefore, A.J was included and anything he did is legal." She stepped down looking rather smug. The queen thought for a moment, then nodded.

"I concede your point." She said. "Now follow me, and we'll get you ready for shipment."

"Wait, you already have means of shipping us to Greece?" Percy asked. "I thought you had to get ready." The queen smiled.

"We did get it ready, just in case you won our bet. Now, follow me." She walked off, and the others followed. I helped Pan walk, as she was still dazed from being knocked out. We followed the others to a massive circled room filled with boxes. Pan's breathing got faster. I looked over at her, to see the front of her shining with sweat. I stopped and picked her up, carrying her bridal style. Her breathing slowed, but it was still quick. I sped up until I caught up with the others, on the other side of the room. They were all standing in front of a large cream colored box. Pan was starting to breathe faster again. I looked down to see that she was staring at the box with wide eyes. I was jolted back into looking at the queen as she spoke.

"This is an enchanted box. It's far bigger inside than outside, and magically protected. You will be completely untraceable the instant you step inside. Not even the gods will be able to find you. Once you all get settled, we'll ship this box, with you inside, to Greece. We'll work on a way of getting you back."

"Thank you, Queen Hylla." Percy said. The queen nodded, and then we were loading up. I was the last person down, and I was immediately struck by the layout of the interior. It looked just like a normal house, with many rooms. These included a bathroom or three, a big kitchen, and a multitude of bedrooms. There was even a training room for demigods. When I entered the training room, I saw Percy and Jason sparring. Frank and Leo were moving boxes around to make some more room. Leo came up to us.

"Hey bro, stop playing around with your girlfriend and help us move some boxes." Then he shoved a bunch of boxes in my face. Just then, Pan flipped out. She struggled so much she put a fish out of water to shame. The movement was so sudden that Leo was pushed back. The scene was further accentuated by the horrified shriek that Pan let out. Her freak out was so sudden and violent that I dropped her right there. Immediately, everyone was running toward us.

"What happened?" Jason asked. As soon as he caught his breath. "I heard a shriek."

"Yeah, me too." Percy said panting. Everybody else nodded, confirming the fact that they all heard a shriek. Pan sat up, breathing in and out slowly.

"I'm sorry. I have Pygmachophobia." She said. "I just freaked out, that's all."

"What's Pygmachophobia?" Piper asked. Annabeth and Pan were both about to say something, but just then, something clicked in my mind.

"It's the fear of boxes." I said slowly. I crouched down so that I was level with her. "Now why would a girl named Pan be scared of boxes? You haven't been entirely honest with us, have you?" I asked her. Pan smiled guiltily.

"So, you figured me out?" She asked. I shrugged.

"That depends on what you tell us. So, are you going to tell us the truth?" I asked her.

"Um, what's going on?" Hazel asked. I looked around. Everyone was in various states of confusion. Even Annabeth didn't seem to know what was happening.

"Come on Pan, they're waiting." She looked around at all their faces, and sighed.

"Fine. I have no choice, do I?" She stood up. "I've been hiding who I really am from all of you." She took a deep breath in and out. "My real name... is Pandora."

LINE BREAK

**PANDORA**

The silence that followed was nearly unbearable. Then, recognition began to dawn on Annabeth.

"You mean, _the_ Pandora? The wife of Epimethius?" She said. I scowled.

"Oh, don't even _mention_ that creep." I said. "Marrying him was the most disgusting experience of my life." Then, Percy seemed to remember something.

"If you're the real Pandora, then I gave your box to Hestia." My scowl deepened.

"Don't mention the box either. I get no end of bad publicity for that little incident." I said.

"Yeah, but didn't you like unleash all the pain and suffering in existence on the world?" Annabeth asked. Then she seemed to get an idea. "So that's why you hid your identity?" I nodded.

"Yes. I didn't know how you would react, so I kept my mouth shut." Everybody was silent after that, except...

"Well, I knew it." A.J said. I looked at him in shock. He grinned. "It all fits. 'Call me Pan' was perhaps not your most creative idea yes? And a fear of boxes is not very common." I scoffed.

"So, now what? What are you going to do with me?" I hate to admit, but I was trembling inside. I was terrified of these people. Against any of them, I will certainly die. I don't want to die.

"I'm going to ask you a question." He said calmly. "And that question is: Why are you here?" I was still terrified, but I told my story.

"When I opened that accursed pithos, the gods killed me. Actually, they ordered Epimethius to do it, and he did it with way to much enthusiasm." I clutched my side, remembering the feel of a blade between my ribs. "I wasn't sent to the fields of punishment like you might think. No, I was sent to Tartarus." I closed my eyes as I remember my near eternity in that hell. "When Gaea opened the doors of death, I jumped at the chance to escape from that place. I joined that legion of monsters of hers out of Tartarus, then got away from them as fast as I could. I found my way to camp Jupiter, though I don't quite remember how. I introduced myself under the name Pan, and was living peacefully. That was, until you" I said, pointing at A.J "pulled me along on this stupid quest. Now I need to go back to that horrible country. AND ITS ALL YOUR FAULT!" I bolted from the room, running through the hallways until I came to a dead end. I entered the first door I saw, which led to a huge bedroom. I slammed the door and threw myself on the massive king sized bed. I immediately began to cry. I didn't mean to snap at A.J, but I was so...so...so... I screamed, because I couldn't quite figure out how I felt about A.J. My emotions were so jumbled up and confused. It felt like I was twirling down a painful spiral with no way of escape. I just lay there, and I wept, spiraling deeper and deeper into this depression I've lived with ever since I was sent to Tartarus.

LINE BREAK

**A.J**

After Pandora ran out of the room, everybody was confused about what to do. Nobody could figure out what to make of this new development. Finally, I had enough.

"You guys can figure this out without me." I said. "I'm going to go find Pandora." I walked out on all the protests and arguments. I made a chain. It snaked its way through the halls, leading me to Pandora. It eventually led me to a door. I opened the door and found her lying facedown on a bed. She turned her head to look at me as I entered. Her face was streaked with tears and her eyes were red.

"What do you want?" She asked. She didn't sound angry this time, just sad. So, I made my way over to her. I sat on the bed next to her.

"I'm sorry for bringing you along." I said. She sat up.

"Nah, it's fine. Really. It's my fault, if anything, for not telling you who I am." She said. "I just got caught up in the moment. The truth is that I'm scared."

"Scared of what?" I asked curiously. She let out a bitter laugh.

"So many things. I'm scared of boxes, which you already know, so I'm terrified just being in here. I'm scared that I'll do something wrong in Greece and screw things up even more. I'm scared of how useless I am. But most of all" She leaned into me, and I wrapped my arms around her in a hug "I'm scared of dying again. I don't want to die again. I don't want to go back to Tartarus." She tarted crying into my shirt, and I patted her back. She pulled herself away from me. "I'm pathetic, I know." I silenced her with a finger on her lips.

"Now what makes you say that?" I asked her. "Here, I have something for you." I reached into my pocket and took out a bracelet. It was a simple band that read SYNTROPHOZ in Greek letters. "This is an artifact that was given to me by a stranger on my eleventh birthday. This once belonged to Achilles. It was his constant companion. That's what Syntrophoz means, you know: companion." I held it out to her. She hesitated, then took it. As soon as she slipped it on, it transformed into a spear. She looked at it in awe. "That spear will never break." I said, and she focused back on me. "And if you ever lose it, it will always return as a bracelet around your wrist. Now we're alike you and I." I then showed her my hands. On one of my fingers was a simple ring. The only distinguishing part about it was the word inscribed on it: OIKOIGENEIA. "It means family." I said at her confused expression. Then I was confused. "Shouldn't you know that?"

"Know what?" She asked. I arched an eyebrow.

"Oikoigenia. It's Greek for family. Shouldn't you know what it means? Isn't Greek your native language?" Her eyes widened, and she made an 'O' with her mouth.

"See, the thing is, when I died, I lost my memories of the Greek language. I would have probably forgotten everything, but the gods wanted me to remember every last second of my life. Language just wasn't torturous enough for me to remember." She said in a tone saturated with cold anger.

"You despise them, don't you?" I asked. She knew what I was talking about, and she nodded.

"I know what you're thinking." She said to me. "I hate the gods more than anything or anyone else I've ever hated before, but I am also physically and mentally incapable of betraying them. You don't have to worry about me stabbing you in the back." Then she began laughing. "Now I realize how suspicious that sounds. And of course, I have no way to prove it, and I know I can't just say 'trust me' because-" I cut her off by doing the only thing I could think of at the moment: I kissed her. Yeah, I realize that I could have just told her to be quiet for a second, but I had something I had to find out anyway. She was stock still for a split second, but then she kissed me back. I pulled away before anything else could happen.

"Sorry, but I needed to be sure." I said. She closed her eyes and leaned into me.

"Sure of what?" She asked sleepily, as though she just woke up from a dream. She snapped awake as soon as I spoke however.

"Sure of weather or not I need to say 'forget whatever feelings you have for me'." I said. She lurched up so fast that I had to lean back in order to not be smacked in the face.

"What?" She asked me. She frantically searched my eyes, face, anything she could in order to see if I was lying.

"I'll explain it to everybody, but right now, suffice it to say that don't want you to get hurt. Keep your distance from me, and I'll do the same." Then, I stood up. I helped her up, brushed off the few tears she had, then escorted her out of the room. "Now come on, you're not the only one who's been hiding stuff."

LINE BREAK

When we finally reached the training room, everybody was waiting. As soon as Pandora and I came in sight, Annabeth ran up to me.

"A.J, we may have figured something out about the prophecy." She said. "Spirit passed through death's known gate" She said without letting me interject "it means-"

"Pandora." I said. "It means Pandora." Annabeth nodded. Pandora went and stood among the others. "I have something I need to confess." I said. Piper looked from me, to Pandora, and back to me. She gave me a knowing grin. I smiled at her implications. "The final line of the prophecy." I said. "The greatest of heroes shall share in his fate."

"You figured it out?" Jason asked. I nodded.

"I figured it out that first day. That's what I was thinking about when we left for this quest." I replied.

"Well, what does it mean?" Percy asked. I smirked.

"The Trojan War is the greatest war in history, and also the most important." I said. "Among the reasons for this are the fact that it gave rise to the greatest hero of all time: Achilles." Everybody nodded, except for Pandora. "My mother was so influenced by this hero that she named me after him. My name is Achilles Johanson." The silence in this room was swift and painless. I saw the blank looks on their faces, and I knew that they didn't realize the implications of what I just said. I sighed in frustration. "The greatest of heroes! That means Achilles. My name is Achilles! Shall share in his fate! Achilles died! Get it now?" I practically yelled. This time, I saw looks of understanding on Annabeth, Pandora, Percy, and Piper. I smiled sadly. "Yeah, no matter what happens on this quest, one thing is certain. On this adventure, I'm destined to die."

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**AN: There we go! So many secrets revealed. Did any of you see any of this coming? Was it all just a surprise? Did you enjoy these new developments? Please tell me, I need to know! * cough * Seriously though, please R&R. Thanks.**


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: I'm sad. Nobody told me they were surprised. Was I to obvious? Was it just not interesting enough? Anyway, here is the next chapter.**

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**PANDORA**

It took me one day to break down. Let's start at the beginning. A.J had just announced that he was destined to die.

_FLASHBACK_

_I was stunned. I could only stand there, staring straight ahead. It felt like my entire body was encased in lead._

_ "I figured you guys have a right to know, since we have nearly arrived at the most dangerous place we could find." A.J said. Then, he walked away, and I continued to stand there for gods know how long after. Why? Because, when he kissed me, I had felt a rush of emotion I had never felt before. I felt like I could let all my fears go. In that moment, I could have died happy, regardless of my fear. I thought I might actually have a chance to be happy, but then he shattered those hopes. Now I could barely move. When I was finally able to move my body, I decided to exhaust myself, to the point of passing out, so as to forget my troubles. I went up to a few of the others and asked if they could help me train with my spear. The spear A.J gave me. They must have taken pity on me, because they all agreed to help me in their own ways. Jason, Percy, Frank, and Annabeth all trained me in combat. Piper comforted me, and Hazel helped me calm down by playing games with some gems she kept hold of. Leo made sure to keep any and all boxes well away from me, and Calypso would sing and relax me. I even saw A.J a few times, but he made sure to keep well away from me. I have no idea how long I remained in this cycle, but around the third time I saw A.J, I finally decided. Screw destiny. I ran up to him, grabbed him, and dragged him out of the room before anyone could protest._

FLASHBACK END

Now we were standing in a room remarkably like the one he kissed me in, and I smiled in spite of myself. He stood near the bed, and I was at the door, blocking his escape route. Finally, A.J slumped down onto the bed.

"Should have figured something like this would happen." He mumbled. Then he smiled. "Won't change anything though. I'll still be gone, and you will still be alone." He said that in such a casual manner, that it struck me like a punch to the face. I wanted to curl up into a ball. Then, I realized what he was doing. He was trying to make me hate him, so I wouldn't be hurt by his death. I got angry and tackled him. That was how fast it was, I swear to Zeus. One moment, I was standing near the door, next moment im sitting on his chest, punching him in the gut.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" I shouted. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO ME!? YOU KISSED ME, AND NOW YOU TELL ME YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!? WHAT KIND OF GUY DOES THAT!? AND NOW YOU WANT TO RUB SALT IN THE WOUNDS? GUESS WHAT! I. HAVE. HAD. ENOUGH!" I punched him over and over: His face, his chest, his gut, even the sides of his head. He just lay there and took all of it. That infuriated me even more. I punched him harder and harder. Eventually, he was bleeding, but there was more blood that just what a few punches could do. Then I realized: I had punched him so hard my own fists began bleeding. Finally, I got off him and I stood there, panting. His faced was split in three separate locations: Above his left eye, on his right cheek, and in the middle of his forehead. I also broke his nose. He was wheezing to the extent that I think I broke a rib or two, and he couldn't sit up due to the damage I did to his gut. Then he started laughing.

"Did you get it all off your chest, or do you need to let loose some more?" He managed to choke out. I was still so royally pissed that I felt like beating him some more, but I decided to try diplomacy.

"Do you really just not care what I'm going through?" I asked him. "Or are you still trying to get me to hate you?" Then, a bunch of chains sprouted out of the wall and attached themselves to A.J. He was then wrapped in an envelope of ruby flames. When the flames died down, he was sitting up and he was perfectly healed. He stretched.

"Okay, lets try that again." He said. "Tell it to me straight. What precisely are you going through?" My anger faded slightly, but only slightly.

"You want the truth? Here it is." I said. "You drive me absolutely crazy. For most of this little journey, you weren't even here. That combined with the fact that Piper tried to set me up with you almost immediately after you left have annoyed me to no end. You were the first person to figure out my identity, and you weren't even here to receive all the clues." I stopped to take a breath. I noticed that he was looking at me intently. "That being said, because of that I find you a truly interesting person. You not only managed to figure me out just by having some obscure clues, but you were kind to me after the fact. And then you kissed me and effectively shattered my little sense of safety. Do you have any idea how devastated I was?" I looked at him, and he was smirking. I scowled. "Wipe that smug look off your face, I'm not done yet. This is my demand: You will not avoid me, and you will not give me a false sense of security. And if you do break my little sense of safety and security with something as stupid as _death_, then I swear to every god sitting on their behinds up on mount Olympus that I will personally bring you out of the underworld. Is that clear?" His smirk hadn't been dropped. In fact, it grew larger. My anger had pretty much subsided, though I was still a little mad at him for putting me through this.

"I never knew somebody could live that kind of emotional roller coaster." He said. "I still disagree with this. I don't want you to get hurt. But, if that's what you really want, then fine." I felt an absurd amount of joy at that statement. I scowled.

"What is this ridiculous feeling?" I asked. A.J laughed then.

"You should ask Piper." He said. I shook my head with small smile and walked out of the room. Before I closed the door, I heard him shout. "Get those hands of yours looked at."

LINE BREAK

**PIPER**

"Dear gods, what happened?" I asked Pandora as she came up to me asking to take care of her hands. I shrugged and said why not, then I looked at her hands and gasped. Her hands weren't just cut. It looked like the skin had been ripped off of them. Then I saw that it was only around the knuckles. Pandora shrugged.

"I beat A.J up for ignoring me." She said bluntly. I giggled.

"Now normally I would say something like 'not a smart move' but I think this is just what A.J would need to notice you." I said. She looked at me.

"What?" She asked. I noticed that she was blushing, ever so slightly. "What would make you say something like that?" I grinned.

"Come on. Just because your name got longer doesn't mean I forgot what I told you." I said as I bandaged her hands. "I'm going to get you and A.J together."

"You were actually serious about that?" She asked. Before I could reply, somebody did for me.

"Not only is she serious, but she had this whole elaborate plan to get you and me all touchy feely." A.J said. Pandora turned her head to look at him, then she looked back at me.

"What the Hades Piper?" She exclaimed. I Quickly turned to The others, who were doing some random stuff at the other side of the room.

"Leo, they're on to us, enact plan B!" I screamed. He immediately looked up from whatever he was tinkering with and grinned at me.

"On it beauty queen." He said. He then took out a remote and pressed a button. Immediately, every source of light in the room was extinguished.

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**PANDORA**

The second the room was engulfed in darkness, I hard a mad scrambling, and the sound of a door shutting. I then felt a feeling of anxiety build up inside me. Was I alone? Did they all leave me? Have I been betrayed again?

"Do you have abandonment issues?" I heard somebody ask. It took me a moment to recognize A.J was the one who spoke.

"What makes you say that?" I asked, and then despised the sentence because of how my voice wobbled.

"Nothing much. Just a guess really. I know something's up, so I figure it's either a fear of the dark or abandonment issues. Judging by how you talked to me a few minutes ago, I'd say abandonment issues." He said. I knew he was close, but I didn't know where. I couldn't see anything at all. The room was so pitch black that even Nyx would be proud.

"How do you know something's up with me?" I asked the darkness. Then, I nearly screamed when I felt somebody grab me from behind. Before I did, I realized it was A.J and relaxed dramatically.

"I can hear you hyperventilating." He said. His voice was right next to me ear. "So, was I right?" I sighed and leaned into him.

"Kind of." I said. "Not abandonment so much as betrayal. I have slight trust issues and I get paranoid that people I care about will stab me in the back." I say. I felt his arms tighten around me.

"Does that extend to me?" He asked, and I turned around to face him.

"Yes." I said truthfully. I hugged him from the front just to be sure he was still there. "But I don't want it to." I didn't realize I was crying until just then. Gods im a mess. A.J tensed.

"If I ever meet him" He whispered "Epimethius will wish he was never born." I gasped at the barely suppressed anger I could hear in his voice. Then, he relaxed. "You haven't had much sleep, have you?" He asked. It was then that I also realized just how tired and fatigued I was. I could just pass out right there.

"Not much." I mumbled. I closed my eyes, then opened them again.

"Then go and get some." He said. "I won't leave, I promise." I didn't have the strength or the mentality to object, so I relaxed and passed out in his arms.

LINE BREAK

**A.J**

It felt like hours before the lights came back on. When they did, the first thing I saw was Jason and Piper standing side by side, with Piper grinning smugly. Pandora was still asleep in my arms, so I picked her up bridal style and carried her out of the room. As I passed Piper, I said "You, follow me." I could feel her turn around, and I just kept walking. I came to one of the many bedrooms and I placed Pandora on the bed. I had long discovered that every room looked the same. I turned to see Piper standing there. Jason had come with her. I frowned, then I quickly lost it. Him being here would make things harder, but not impossible to deal with. I walked up to Piper.

"You know, there is something I really think you should know." I told her. Before she could ask me what, I straight up punched her in the gut. She instantly doubled over in pain, falling to the ground with a gasp. "I hate being used." I told her. "And furthermore" I said with a scowl. I kicked her in the side of the chest. "YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO INTERFERE!" I shouted. I kicked her straight into Jason, who I had wrapped in chains right after I punched Piper. Both of them toppled to the floor. I quickly ran and crouched next to Piper. "Are you okay?" I asked her softly. "Did I break anything?"

"Some ribs." She gasped. I immediately made a chain connecting her to me. I instantly felt an intense pain in my chest, right where my ribs were. After a minute, the chain disappeared, and I was kneeling on the floor, gasping. Piper stood up, completely fine.

"What happened?" Jason asked. I had nearly forgotten he was there, as he was frozen in shock the entire time.

"Pain transfer." I said. "I healed her ribs and I got the pain." She knelt next to me.

"Thank you." She said after a pause. "And I'm sorry. For all of it."

"Not your fault." I said with a shake of my head. "It's your nature." I painfully stood up and made my way to the bed. "Get out." I said. "And let the others know that if anybody disturbs Pandora, they answer to me." I was met with silence, until I heard the door slam and I knew they were gone. I closed my eyes, and lay on the ground next to the bed, about to fall asleep.

LINE BREAK

**AN: Sorry If the end seems a little rushed. I've had this sitting around for days and I wanted to finish it. Anyway let me know what you think. Specifically, what do you think about Pandora and A.J? If you have any ideas about how I can further their relationship, then please let me know. Thanks.**


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: The only thing I have to say right now is thanks to Brsrkfury for reviewing. Thank you for your honesty, and I hope that it doesn't effect how you think about the story. That's all, so enjoy.**

LINE BREAK

**PANDORA**

I woke up in one of the bedrooms. I don't remember how I got here, though. The only thing I remember was drifting off in A.J's arms. As soon as the thought of A.J came up, I looked around for him frantically. I couldn't see him anywhere, and I started freaking out. _He left me._ I thought._ He left me all alone. He abandoned me._ I started crying like the pathetic little girl I really was. Suddenly, I was hugged from behind. _Kind of like last night._ I though to myself. Then I was able to register A.J's voice talking.

"It's okay, it's okay. I'm still here, I haven't left." He said softly. I sighed, then I rolled over and hugged him.

"Gods, I need therapy or something." I muttered to his chest. I heard him laugh, and I smiled. I felt good around him. _Really_ good. Then, he started rubbing small circles on my back, and I felt even better.

"Are you OK now?" He asked. I just nodded. Then, he stood up and helped me up. I stretched, because _Good Lord_ I felt stiff. Then, we walked through the hallways until we came to the training room, which I realized is pretty much the only room was use anyway. There we found everybody else standing in a circle.

"Hey guys, what's up?" A.J asked as we walked up to them. Percy turned to look at us.

"Leo's got some news." He said, then turned back. I sighed.

"According to this timepiece I made when we got here" Leo began once we got settled "we should be arriving in Greece in about four hours. That means everyone should probably get ready." A.J snorted.

"Forgive me if I don't trust your work Leo." He said. Leo whined like I child.

"I _told_ you, that wasn't my doing." He said. A.J just 'Hmph'-ed and grinned. Then, everyone left to go and get whatever they needed ready.

LINE BREAK

**PERCY**

I had literally no idea how to tell weather or not the box was moving. I was kinda worried that we would be trapped here, with no way of knowing when to get out. That fear was wiped away when somebody descended from the stairs. We were all standing around in the room we entered the box in, waiting for something to happen, when a woman walks down the stairs leading to the exit. She wore a long black dress with long sleeves. She also had long wavy brown hair. I won't bother describing her face, because she didn't have one. It was just an empty space, like a mannequin face or something. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, her head turned straight towards me.

"_My name is Angelia."_ She spoke in my mind. _"I am known as the spirit of proclamation. It is my job to disclose to you this crucial information, so listen well. The gods have become invested in this quest. After you recover the object you seek, you must return to Mount Olympus, for the gods would have a word with all of you. You will find what you're looking for at Delphi."_ With that, she turned around and walked away. _"Three minutes after I leave, you shall arrive at your destination. You have been hunted on your journey, by a powerful foe, and when you arrive, he shall make his move. Good luck."_ Was the last thing she said before she ascended the stairs and left. I looked around at everybody, wondering if they all heard her as well. Probably sensing my question, everybody nodded.

"Anybody got any clues as to what that means?" Jason asked. Naturally, the answer was no. Sighing, he started walking up the stairs next to Piper. "Thought so."

"Wait." A.J said. Jason stopped and looked down. "I go first."

"Why?" Jason asked.

"Because, something is waiting out there." He said forcefully. "I need to go and clear it away."

"I can do that too you know." Jason said. A.J shook his head furiously.

"Not this one." He said. "I swear on the river Styx, you have never fought a foe like this." He turned and looked at all of us. "None of you have. No matter what monster, gods, goddesses, or titans you've fought, you have never seen a deity like this."

"And just how do you know about this?" I asked him. He looked at me. He was deadly serious. I could even see some of that ruby fire in his eyes.

"I've finally made the connection. Think for a moment. All of you have been getting angry at each other easier and easier, right?" I realized that it was true, though so far, the only person I'd gotten mad at was Pandora for lying. The others though, Annabeth included, had been arguing quite a lot. I nodded in reply to his question.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Hazel asked. A.J turned on her.

"For the entirety of the time that we've been in here, there has been a faint tie connecting all of you to an outside force. I couldn't place my finger on it, until everybody began to get angry." He looked around at us all again. By now, he had everybody's undivided attention. "We were betrayed." We were all surprised at what he said, and he hurried to remove any unwanted implications. "Not by anyone here. By the amazons. Somebody screwed with the enchantments. Not by much, but enough so that an extremely powerful being could trace us. I saw the ties there too, but I didn't think much of it at the time."

"Why would the Amazons betray us?" Frank asked. A.J looked at the ground.

"Hate. Hate can tear entire nations apart, so there is no way it wouldn't have worked on one or two amazons."

"What do you mean?" That was Jason again, who had, along with Piper, stood at the bottom of the stairs. A.J took in a breath and sighed.

"Gods, all of you are so completely dense." He yelled. "Have any of you wondered what happened when you swear on the river Styx? The vow gives him power! He woke up!" Pandora placed her hands on his chest.

"Whoa whoa, calm down. What's going on? Speak slowly." She said calmly. A.J took in some breaths, then tried again.

"Okay, every part of the underworld has a deity that personifies it, like Gaea personifying the earth, got it?" Everybody nodded. "Each of the five rives that run through it have a personification deity. That includes the river Styx." Jason took a step towards A.J.

"Wait, are you saying that the spirit of the river Styx is waiting outside that entrance?" He asked in horror. A.J nodded.

"He was asleep for millennium, ever since the first titan war. He slowly started waking up when everything moved to America. Now he's awake, and I bet he's siding with our enemies." A.J said.

"Why do you think that?" Annabeth asked. "What exactly are we up against?" She sounded angry, because she _hated_ not knowing stuff.

"I don't blame you for not knowing. It's really old ancient history. Not many people would know about it, unless they have my family insight powers. Styx is the personification of hatred. He _is_ hatred. The only reason I know it's him out there is because he is related to me, and I get all omniscient with my family." He looked around at all of us one final time. "I'll go keep him busy, give me about two minutes and make a break for it." Without waiting for a reply, A.J ran up the stairs.

LINE BREAK

**ANNABETH**

When we ran out two minutes later, we found ourselves in the middle of a war zone. We were on the beach, with a beautiful forest just in front of us. At least, I think it was supposed to be beautiful. Now, though, it was completely trashed. Trees were uprooted, massive craters were all over, entire sections of the earth were torn out. It looked like a flurry of explosions had ripped the place apart, but there was absolutely nothing else here. No body parts, no bodies, no dust, there was nothing.

"W-where are we?" Jason asked, trying to keep his mind on the quest. Percy grabbed my hand, and I gave his a reassuring squeeze.

"We are on the east beach of the isle of Delphi." He said. "They dropped us off literally at our destination." I shook my head at that.

"No, this isn't where we're supposed to be." I said. Percy looked at me in confusion.

"Why is that?" Percy asked me. "I thought we were supposed to go to Delphi." I nodded.

"Let me explain alright?" I asked. He nodded. "This is the _geographical_ Delphi, the one that the mortals new and worshiped on. However, it was named for the _real_ Delphi, which the gods used. And before you ask, I know because I've been there once, in a dream. My mother explained everything to me." Percy looked satisfied with my answer.

"So, we need to go to this real Delphi then?" Leo asked. I nodded. He grinned. "Then let's get to work."

LINE BREAK

**LEO**

Annabeth and I had come up with a simple but ingenious plan. We made a raft, on which we placed the magic box. All of us except for Percy and Annabeth went back down into the box, while Percy used his water powers to get the raft to this other Delphi. We arrived in no time at all, and when we emerged, we were all struck speechless by the island we had landed on. The sand was pure white, like snow but warmer, and the lush emerald forest was broken by a diamond walkway twisting through it like a river. After we had all recovered our wits, we began walking down the walkway. Calypso, who was right beside me, grabbed my hand and walked a little closer to me.

"I'm worried about A.J." She said. I nodded.

"I am to." I said. "But he can take care of himself. It's Pandora we need to worry about. This must be especially hard for her, considering how close she is to A.J. Not to mention her... problem." I really felt bad for her, she even looked like she was trying to not freak out. Calypso kissed my cheek.

"PDA!" Piper shouted, which caused all of us to jump. She and Jason started cracking up, and soon the rest of us followed. We all went silent when we saw the building where we were heading. It was massive, made entirely of white stone, and it covered over half of the island. The doors alone stood over 100 times my height. I was amazed that I didn't see them from the beach. The best part was, the doors were wide open. We just strolled right in, and gasped in amazement. Annabeth practically swooned. The inside was far more magnificent than the outside. There was a massive hall with equally massive doors leading from it, with tapestries on the walls woven from actual jewels. The hall led all the way up to a massive statue of a man. He held the world in one hand, and the underworld In the other. Resting on a pedestal right in front of the statue, was a scythe.

LINE BREAK

**PANDORA**

I was still worried for A.J. There was no sign of him when we exited the box. I kept thinking over and over _what if he never comes back?_ I was trying to keep it together, but I was failing. How could he survive a fight with Styx? He said he was destined to die. Is this the time? My thoughts were interrupted when I saw the scythe. We all stood there, staring at it, until I gained the courage to approach it. I went to pick up the scythe, but I stopped.

"No way!" I said, taking a step backward. "That's not- It can't be." I stumbled, but Jason caught me.

"What Is it?" He asked. Then he saw it, and froze. Everybody else must have finally seen it as well, and an audible gasp filled the room. The scythe on the pedestal was entirely stone, save for the bottom of the handle. Only a third of the scythe was actually there. Numbly, I walked over and picked up the handle.

"We came all this way for a stick?" I asked. I was angry, I was sad, I was resentful. We could have lost A.J on this quest, and it was all just for a stick? I wanted to murder the one that started this.

"Hey, what's this?" Annabeth asked, breaking me out of my thoughts. I looked back at her, and saw that she was looking at something near the statue. She walked up to the pedestal, and crouched down. It was only then that I saw there was writing near the bottom. Something was written in ancient Greek, so naturally, I couldn't read it.

"What does it say?" I asked her bitterly, angry at the fact that I couldn't read my own language.

"It says..." She started, but before she could go on, a huge explosion rocked the island. A part of the ceiling blew in and crashed to the ground. A cloud of dust blossomed out like a mushroom cloud, and I could barely breathe. When the dust finally settled, I was met with the most horrible sight I had ever seen. Standing before us was a ten foot tall man, clad entirely in midnight-black armor. The strange thing was, though, that the armor seemed to be made of water. It kept rippling and waving as if it were being blown by a heavy wind. Strangest of all, there were various items floating around in it: A clock, some rings, a pair of glasses, empty picture frames, you name it. Where it's eyes should be, there were simple blood red lights.

"Styx." I said. I was sure it was him. I could feel it. But if he was here, then that would mean...

_"Hello, godspawn. I am Styx, and I shall send you to Tartarus. He would like to have a word with you all."_ The deity spoke. I shivered, because it's voice sounded like the vary definition of pain. This abomination of a creature would make all of us suffer. He held out one of his gauntlet clad hands, and I felt as if I was drowning in anger. How dare the fates place me in this position? How dare anybody think that they can control me. I felt my face twist up into a furious scowl. I'll make them all pay. Then, suddenly, a voice snapped me out of these thoughts.

"Hey, you Trash-faced freak!" Called a familiar voice. I looked behind Styx to see A.J standing in the doorway. A roar was then heard. I saw a golden shape fly by the hole in the ceiling, and a few seconds later, a rain of black dots came into view. Suddenly, a chain wrapped around me and the others, and yanked us towards A.J. We all landed next to him.

"There's no time to explain." He said. "Right now, Styx is vary weak. I have to finish what I started and send him back to the underworld. You all need to go. Take Festus and fly to mount Olympus. The gods need to know what's happening." With that, he turned to face Styx. I felt somebody grab me from behind and drag me out of the building. The last I saw of A.J, he was calmly walking towards Styx, who just stood there and waited. I struggled In the grasp of whoever was carrying me.

"Let me go, I need to help him!" I screamed. "Styx will kill him! Let me go!" I felt the grip n me tighten.

"You can't. You'll die too. A.J knows what he's doing. We need to trust him." Frank said as he hauled me back to the beach. I looked back, and everyone was already there. Leo was waving his arms, hollering to the sky.

"Festus! Over here!" He called. Then, a golden dragon landed a few feet away, and made a gesture to mount him. Leo looked back at us. "Come on!" We all climbed onto Festus, who swiftly took off. When we were high enough, I saw that the entirety of the building was covered in little black spots. Focusing, I saw that they were pouches. Pouches containing something smoking and sparking.

"Oh my gods." Percy gasped. "That building is covered in pouches of Greek fire! When those things blow, the entire this will go up." Festus kept flying away, and I was getting hysteric. I was flat out shouting for them to let me go, because I desperately needed to save him. I was about to just jump, when my worst nightmare laughed in my face. As one, all of the Greek fire patches blew up. It was worse that Percy said it would be. It wasn't just the building. The entire island was enveloped in Greek fire. I just stared on, to horrified to so much as blink. My eyesight went completely black, and I probably fell off the dragon, but I didn't care. A.J was gone.

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**AN: That's a wrap. This story is now officially over. If it seems a bit rushed, please let me know and I will fix it. Also, I will have a sequel up soon. It will be titled 'Road to Tartarus'. Please R&R, and tell me any events, monsters, items, or characters you would like me to put in it. I may just use it, and give you credit for it of course. Thanks to all of you who invested in this story, and I hope I didn't disappoint you. Oh, and just a side note, but this is now currently my longest fanfiction to date. Whoo!**


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